What You Don’t Know About Organ Donation Could Save a Life

Most people think organ donation only happens after death. They also think it involves major organs like the heart or the kidneys. And these indeed are some of the ways organs are donated.

But the reality is much broader and more hopeful than this limited viewpoint. Many people don’t realize that there are ways they can help save and improve lives while they’re still living — and many more don’t even realize they qualify.

Let’s explore the lesser-known side of organ and tissue donation. We’ll look at what it means to donate an organ, what a “living donor” is, and what it takes to become a donor.

What Does Organ Donation Actually Mean?

Let’s start with the basic definition. What does it mean to donate an organ? Cleveland Clinic has a succinct and effective way of answering the question:

“Organ donation means giving your organ — or part of an organ — to someone who needs it to live.”

Note that it doesn’t say anything about whether the donor is alive or not. That is because there are many forms that organ donation can take. Heart surgery is an obvious one that has to be done after death. But it’s possible to give a kidney to someone while still alive. You can even give part of your liver — the only organ that can fully regrow. When that happens, you need to rest for six to eight weeks during initial healing, and in most cases, you can make a full recovery after a few months.

There are other forms that organ donation can take, and we’ll look at those in detail in a minute. But first, it’s important to realize that organ donation isn’t something that a small number of people do. It is a common occurrence. (Albeit one with an even greater demand.)

According to Mid-America Transplant, there are around 2.5 million tissue transplants alone every year. A single donor can improve the lives of dozens of people, too, whether it’s through organs, tissue, cornea or a combination of the three.

What Forms Can Organ Donation Take?

Organ donation can take many different forms. Apart from the iconic heart transplant, there are several other common donation options, many of which are possible while you’re still alive.

Tissue transplants alone can come from multiple parts of the body, including corneas, tendons, veins, heart valves, skin, nerves and musculoskeletal tissue.

Living organ donation, such as donating a kidney or part of your liver, is also possible. And while they aren’t classified as organs, donations like blood, bone marrow, platelets and plasma are equally important and widely used in medical care.

Some of these options also come with practical considerations that people don’t always think about, from eligibility requirements to what the donation process involves and even how certain types of donations are handled financially.

Donations Can Also Come From Perinatal Tissue

Another example of innovative organ donation is after childbirth. Often, the placenta and umbilical cord are discarded, but these can be valuable sources of healing in the right hands.

Today, many mothers are choosing to donate that tissue instead of discarding it. This is helping with research and treatments designed to help patients who are healing from serious wounds or recovering from surgery.

Birth tissue donation is a simple and safe decision for both mothers and their babies. It only happens after delivery and involves tissue that would be otherwise thrown out. Instead, that tissue can make a meaningful difference for multiple people.

At BioStem Technologies, donated birth tissue is transformed into advanced allografts that are used across a broad spectrum of medical applications, including chronic wounds and surgical settings, to support the body’s natural healing process.

The regenerative medicine and life sciences company uses perinatal tissue in several ways. For instance, it draws mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from umbilical cord blood and amniotic membranes to support its work with cellular therapies in the area of wound care.

The use of perinatal tissue is just another excellent example of how organ donation isn’t an after-death-only occurrence. It can take place at most stages of life.

Registering as a Donor and What That Actually Means

Despite the impressive number of organ donations every year, there is consistently high demand in this area of the health world. According to data from Donate Life America, there are more than 100,000 people on wait lists at the moment. And those are for lifesaving transplants.

The list grows every eight minutes, and of that group, 5,600 die every year while still on the list. The organization also notes that 86% of patients are waiting for a kidney. In other words, they need an organ that a living donor could provide, with the hope of fully returning to normal life afterward (barring surgical risks and rare long-term complications).

So, what can someone do to register as a donor? You can use a site like organdonor.gov’s home page to sign up through your state to donate organs after death. You can also do so at your local DMV office, and you can even use the Health app on your iPhone.

If you want to become a living donor, you can do that through the site’s Living Organ Donation page. You will need to meet with hospital staff to determine eligibility (both physical and mental) as well as compatibility. Once on the list, you can choose who receives your organ.

The good news is that you don’t have to be in perfect health to be a donor. You have to be at least 18 (sometimes 21), have good overall physical and mental health, and know enough about the process to make an informed decision.

A living donation doesn’t necessarily limit your lifestyle long-term, either. However, you may have to take time off from work and limit certain activities for a while after donating. You don’t have to pay medical costs, though. The important thing is to ask questions as you engage in the registration process. The more information you have, the more confidence you can have in each decision.

Understanding Organ Donation

If you’re thinking of donating an organ, it’s important to think carefully. Consider all of your options. Do your research.

It’s important to consider all of the possibilities involved, too. Go beyond the stereotypical “after death” donation concept, and look at how you can support and even save other people through everything from your liver to your eyes.

If you think donation is the right step, start the application and evaluation. If you’re approved, you could positively impact multiple lives in the process.