The caring and giving spirit of Arkansans is especially apparent during the holiday season. We direct our love and compassion to those in need, we reach out to others who are in desperate straits, and we give gifts from the heart to loved ones and strangers alike.
Perhaps one of the greatest gifts Arkansans can give is to register to be an organ donor. Organ and tissue transplants offer hopelessly ill patients a new chance at healthy lives and return them to their families, friends and communities. The knowledge that lives have been saved or enhanced by the gift of a loved one's organs can also provide solace and meaning to families in a time of grief.
In Arkansas and throughout the nation, there is a great need for registered organ donors. There are more than 280 people waiting for transplants in Arkansas right now. One-third of them will likely die while still waiting for this lifesaving procedure. Of those who will receive transplants, the average wait is 230 days for a heart and up to three years for a kidney.
The single factor preventing the transplantation of patients who need a new organ is the lack of suitable donors. There simply are not enough registered donors to match those awaiting transplants. A recent survey showed that 80 percent of all Americans support organ donation; yet fewer than 45 percent actually register as organ donors. Many of those surveyed were not registered because of misconceptions about the process of organ donation.
When patients become critically ill, the medical personnel at hospitals focus only on saving lives, not on whether a person is a registered organ donor. Organ-donor status does not affect the level of care a patient receives. Organ donors are treated with care and respect during organ transplantation, and donor families are given time to grieve for loved ones.
The Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency, ARORA, coordinates organ procurement in Arkansas. Recently, this independent, nonprofit agency joined the national "Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative," whose goal is to increase the number of registered organ donors on state donor registries. Nationwide, about 37 percent of adults are enrolled in such registries; in Arkansas, almost 1.2 million people are registered donors. Nearly a third of all organ, eye and tissue donors are found through such state donor registries.
I encourage all Arkansans, Arkansas employers and state agencies to promote organ donation in our state and work to increase Arkansas's organ-donor registry. If we can register 80 percent of our adult population, it is possible to end the transplant waiting list in Arkansas, relieving suffering and provide new lives for hundreds of our fellow Arkansans. You can register today by going to www.arora.org or register when you renew your state driver's license or photo I.D. At this time of year with its spirit of generosity, please consider giving the gift of life. Register to be an organ donor.
Perhaps one of the greatest gifts Arkansans can give is to register to be an organ donor. Organ and tissue transplants offer hopelessly ill patients a new chance at healthy lives and return them to their families, friends and communities. The knowledge that lives have been saved or enhanced by the gift of a loved one's organs can also provide solace and meaning to families in a time of grief.
In Arkansas and throughout the nation, there is a great need for registered organ donors. There are more than 280 people waiting for transplants in Arkansas right now. One-third of them will likely die while still waiting for this lifesaving procedure. Of those who will receive transplants, the average wait is 230 days for a heart and up to three years for a kidney.
The single factor preventing the transplantation of patients who need a new organ is the lack of suitable donors. There simply are not enough registered donors to match those awaiting transplants. A recent survey showed that 80 percent of all Americans support organ donation; yet fewer than 45 percent actually register as organ donors. Many of those surveyed were not registered because of misconceptions about the process of organ donation.
When patients become critically ill, the medical personnel at hospitals focus only on saving lives, not on whether a person is a registered organ donor. Organ-donor status does not affect the level of care a patient receives. Organ donors are treated with care and respect during organ transplantation, and donor families are given time to grieve for loved ones.
The Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency, ARORA, coordinates organ procurement in Arkansas. Recently, this independent, nonprofit agency joined the national "Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative," whose goal is to increase the number of registered organ donors on state donor registries. Nationwide, about 37 percent of adults are enrolled in such registries; in Arkansas, almost 1.2 million people are registered donors. Nearly a third of all organ, eye and tissue donors are found through such state donor registries.
I encourage all Arkansans, Arkansas employers and state agencies to promote organ donation in our state and work to increase Arkansas's organ-donor registry. If we can register 80 percent of our adult population, it is possible to end the transplant waiting list in Arkansas, relieving suffering and provide new lives for hundreds of our fellow Arkansans. You can register today by going to www.arora.org or register when you renew your state driver's license or photo I.D. At this time of year with its spirit of generosity, please consider giving the gift of life. Register to be an organ donor.
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