Every year, a number of patients die in the US, because they didn’t find an organ donor in time. There are only a handful of living organ donors, and not many people are enthusiastic about giving away their organs after death. There are many reasons why you may want to become an organ donor – agreeing to donate organs after death doesn’t have to be a complicated procedure, but most importantly, you can save many lives. Skin, heart, lungs, kidney, pancreas, bones – Many parts of your body can be donated. If you check a sample of donor family letters, you will realize how satisfying and positive the experience can be.
In this post, we are debunking some of the common myths about organ donation.
Deceased donors cannot have an open-casket funeral
That’s a very common myth. Donating organs after death has nothing to do with an open-casket funeral. The deceased will be clothed, and all the surgery points will be sealed. In other words, the body of the deceased donor will be treated with as much respect. There is hardly any sign of organ donation in most cases.
Old people cannot donate organs
Another common myth that people often believe in. No, your age has nothing to do on whether you can become an organ donor or not. However, doctors will consider your health and medica history before enlisting you on the list. For instance, some people who have active infections, diseases like HIV/AIDS or spreading cancer, cannot become living donors. After the donor’s death, transplantation is a matter for doctors to decide.
It’s hard to become a living donor
While in some countries there are rules on only family members being recipients, but that isn’t usually the case in the US. You can choose to become a living donor for anyone in need, depending on the laws. However, living donors must be educated about the risks and complications, which may arise in the future, and it has to be a personal decision without any influence. Doctors, as we mentioned before, will consider the medical history of the donor, just to make sure that they are healthy enough to donate a kidney, and will be able to have a near-normal and healthy life after the surgery.
If you want to become an organ donor, don’t hesitate in asking questions and talk to your doctor. You can always agree to donating your organs after death.
