Being married to a transplantee who is currently in the hospital in rejection, I find my thoughts turning to the entire transplant procedure. I know a lot of people have issues with being an organ donor due to various personal beliefs and/or religious edicts. I don't fault anyone for this. For the rest of y'all, I thought I'd give a little information on organ donation. Most of this will be oriented towards the liver, which is what I know.
Depending on which organization you cite, it is estimated that there are between 40 Million and 80 Million registered organ donors in the United States. That sounds like a huge number doesn't it, 80 Million? Well it is, unfortunately only the tiniest fraction of those donor organs can actually be used.
In most cases, when a person dies of natural causes the toxins released by the body normally permanently damage, if not outright kill, the major organs such as the liver. Dying of most diseases does so as well. In the vast, VAST, majority of cases the only way for the major organs to survive long enough to be harvested is for the person to die in a sudden fashion, normally an accidental or violent death. Of these, the majority (something like 70-75 percent) come from car crashes. So let's look at a little math.
As of April 16th only 39% of licensed drivers in the United States were registered organ donors. In 2007, the last year I could find full statistics for, there were 41,059 traffic fatalities in the US. This number is decreasing, in the first 10 months of 2008 the number had dropped by 10% over the same period in 2007.
39% of 41,059 means that across the entire United States roughly 1,601 donors were available from the number one source of harvestable organs. Now factor in the the cases where the organs may be damaged, perhaps due to a car fire, perhaps due to a particularly violent crash. That number dwindles even more.
Now, before anyone goes and Googles liver transplants, yes, you will see that over 6,000 liver transplants were done last year. By and large those are living donations, where a small portion of a person's liver is grafted. I'm talking about whole organ donations which is what is required for certain genetic disorders, certain autoimmune disorders, certain cancers, to resolve certain serious drug interactions, and for the very young.
Each year only about 1/3 of the people needing a full liver transplant receive one. The pool of available viable organs simply doesn't meet the annual demand. Between 40% to 60% of the people needing a liver transplant will die before they receive one.
Oh, and while you're waiting you don't get any real painkillers, because your damaged liver is what processes most drugs out of your bloodstream. So while you wait you get to feel every agonizing moment of your body dying.
I'm sorry if I'm being a little preachy, a little maudlin, or a little down. While at the hospital last night with my wife I got to watch a 16 year old boy die across the hallway. He'd been waiting for a liver for about 10 months but there just weren't enough matches. He played football, he played in the band, he had a 4.0 GPA, and he had plans to join the military after graduation.
If you haven't, please consider becoming an organ donor. It won't hurt, I promise.
Depending on which organization you cite, it is estimated that there are between 40 Million and 80 Million registered organ donors in the United States. That sounds like a huge number doesn't it, 80 Million? Well it is, unfortunately only the tiniest fraction of those donor organs can actually be used.
In most cases, when a person dies of natural causes the toxins released by the body normally permanently damage, if not outright kill, the major organs such as the liver. Dying of most diseases does so as well. In the vast, VAST, majority of cases the only way for the major organs to survive long enough to be harvested is for the person to die in a sudden fashion, normally an accidental or violent death. Of these, the majority (something like 70-75 percent) come from car crashes. So let's look at a little math.
As of April 16th only 39% of licensed drivers in the United States were registered organ donors. In 2007, the last year I could find full statistics for, there were 41,059 traffic fatalities in the US. This number is decreasing, in the first 10 months of 2008 the number had dropped by 10% over the same period in 2007.
39% of 41,059 means that across the entire United States roughly 1,601 donors were available from the number one source of harvestable organs. Now factor in the the cases where the organs may be damaged, perhaps due to a car fire, perhaps due to a particularly violent crash. That number dwindles even more.
Now, before anyone goes and Googles liver transplants, yes, you will see that over 6,000 liver transplants were done last year. By and large those are living donations, where a small portion of a person's liver is grafted. I'm talking about whole organ donations which is what is required for certain genetic disorders, certain autoimmune disorders, certain cancers, to resolve certain serious drug interactions, and for the very young.
Each year only about 1/3 of the people needing a full liver transplant receive one. The pool of available viable organs simply doesn't meet the annual demand. Between 40% to 60% of the people needing a liver transplant will die before they receive one.
Oh, and while you're waiting you don't get any real painkillers, because your damaged liver is what processes most drugs out of your bloodstream. So while you wait you get to feel every agonizing moment of your body dying.
I'm sorry if I'm being a little preachy, a little maudlin, or a little down. While at the hospital last night with my wife I got to watch a 16 year old boy die across the hallway. He'd been waiting for a liver for about 10 months but there just weren't enough matches. He played football, he played in the band, he had a 4.0 GPA, and he had plans to join the military after graduation.
If you haven't, please consider becoming an organ donor. It won't hurt, I promise.
