Each April, Ochsner Health System celebrates National Donate Life Month to raise awareness about the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation and to celebrate those that have saved lives through the gift of donation.
According to Donate Life America and the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, more than 114,000 men, women, and children are currently waiting for lifesaving organ transplants and in Louisiana, more than 2,000 people are on the waiting list.
Although organ donation is a life-saving gift, it is often misunderstood. Ochsner Health System breaks down five common myths associated with organ donation:
Myth: I'm too old to be a donor.
Fact: There's no age limit to organ donation. To date, the oldest donor in the U.S. was age 93. What matters is the health and condition of your organs when you die.
Myth: I don't think my religion supports donation.
Fact: Most major religions in the United States support organ donation and consider donation as the final act of love and generosity toward others.
Myth: If they see I'm a donor at the hospital, they won't try to save my life.
Fact: When you are sick or injured and admitted to a hospital, the one and only priority is to save your life. Period. Donation doesn’t become a possibility until all lifesaving methods have failed.
Myth: Rich or famous people on the waiting list get organs faster.
Fact: A national computer system matches donated organs to recipients. The factors used in matching include blood type, time spent waiting, other important medical information, how sick the person is and geographic location. Race, income, and celebrity are NEVER considered.
Myth: Somebody could take my organs and sell them.
Fact: Federal law prohibits buying and selling organs in the U.S. Violators can be punished with prison sentences and fines.
“Dispelling myths about organ donation is critically important. Twenty-two people die unnecessarily each day because there are too few organ donors,” said Ari Cohen, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS, abdominal transplant surgery head of the Ochsner Multi-Organ Transplant Institute. “While 95 percent of Americans are in favor of being a donor, only 58 percent are registered. We can make up the difference to help save and change the lives of those waiting.”
In addition to deceased organ donor transplants, patients may also receive organs from living donors. Living donation offers an alternative for those waiting for an organ from a deceased donor and increases the organ supply. In Louisiana, a living donor can donate a single kidney and a segment of their liver.