Eighteen potentially preventable deaths occur everyday in the United States as the wait for a lifesaving organ becomes too long.
Although many support organ donation less than 40 percent of adult Americans have taken steps to become donors.
"College graduations, 25th wedding anniversary, vacations to San Diego," Bette O' Meara counts her blessings. Major milestones she never thought she'd live to see after bacterial pneumonia left her lung function at just eleven percent. "Scared to death," she recalled. "I honestly, other than [my doctor], I don't think anyone thought I'd come back alive."
In January 2004, she moved to St. Louis, Missouri to be put on the list for a double lung
transplant. Three years later she received the call that saved her life. "They called at three and said, 'You get your lungs'. I said, 'Are you sure Stacy?' She said, 'Yeah we're positive,'" O' Meara recalled.
Her donor was one of just 7,000 that year. Unfortunately, each month 300 new names are put on the waiting list. "Every day about 18 people will pass away because they didn't get a lifesaving transplant. Every eleven minutes a new name is going to be added to that waiting list," explained Stephanie Lochmiller of the Nebraska Organ Recovery System.
More than 107,000 Americans are currently waiting for an organ. Every year thousands die that were eligible to be donors, but weren't. For many it's because they never learn the truth behind common myths. "A lot of people worry their religion is not going to support organ donation. That's a big one. All major U.S. religions do support donation," said Lochmiller.
O' Meara put her trust in God hoping he'd allow her a little more time with family and friends. Nearly six years after her transplant not only has she seen her daughter graduate from both high school and college, but has learned to appreciate the small things in life. "Probably the most important thing to me was to be able to walk up a hill without hurting, lean over and plant my garden or flowers."
Other myths about organ donation include thinking there will be a cost to the donor's family, they won't be able to have an open casket funeral or thinking doctor's won't try their hardest to save the potential donor. Officials at Nebraska Organ Recovery said all of those are false.
Reporter's Notes by Laurie Dutcher:
National polls show about 90 percent of Americans support organ donation, even if they haven't taken the time to get registered as a donor.
But what if you didn't have to register? What if you were automatically on the list unless you specifically said you didn't want to be a donor?
That's what would happen under a presumed consent law recently proposed in New York.
Supporters say it will reduce the hassle of becoming a donor. Opponents say it infringes on a person's right to choose.
Spain, Switzerland, Italy, and many other European nations all have that type of system in
place.
Under their law, citizens are instantly put on the organ donor registry unless they decide to
opt-out.
The overall opt-out rate in countries with presumed consent is just two percent.
No such law in Nebraska. That means you've got to get proactive if you want to be an organ donor.
You can register to be a donor when you get your driver's license or just sign up at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
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