Organ, tissue donors give the gift of life

Source: My San Antonio

From time immemorial, the capacity of the human heart, do to both good and evil, has been contemplated by philosophers, poets and priests. Its best and purest impulse pushes people to remarkable acts of generosity and selflessness of which the most supreme is to save a life.

But the heart itself, beyond influencing the conscience to do good, is itself a lifesaver when it's one person's gift to another, a stranger even. The heart is among the organs, along with the tissues of the human body, that allows people to perform the enduring altruism of donating.

Unfortunately, for members of the University of Texas Health Science Center Of San Antonio's Organ &; Transplant team, the number of San Antonians willing to donate organs and tissue is miniscule. The greater misfortune is for those who would otherwise be given new life by these organs and tissue that aren't donated.

"In a city with almost 10,000 deaths a year, we're only getting about 200 or 300 donors a year," says Adam James, a supervisor for the Tissue Recovery Team. This doesn't include those who would like to be donors but don't qualify for some reason.

Explaining the low numbers, James says, "We often find that the general public chooses not to be a donor because of the taboo of having the conversation with family members, misinformation and simply a lack of general knowledge about the process of organ, eye and tissue donation."

Asked about the biggest myths about organ and tissue donation, James and his colleagues came up with these five. Following each myth is James dispelling it.

1. It costs money to donate - "Donor families are not charged any medical costs associated with donation."

2. Donation disfigures the body and delays funerals - "This is a big misconception that we constantly encounter." (James puts extra emphasis on the words "big" and "constantly.") "In reality, great care and respect is given to donors and the reconstruction process. The vast majority of our donations take place immediately within 24 hours, and none of it affects funeral arrangements, even open casket funerals." 3. Donating organs and tissues goes against religious beliefs - "A vast majority of all the major denominations and religions support donation."

4. If hospital staff knows you are a donor, they won't work as hard to save you - "I've heard this one a lot. This is far from the truth. The No. 1 priority is to save your life. Donation is only considered if, and only if, you are declared dead." James also stresses that members of the transplant team are highly trained staff who are enormously skilled in working with people who are grieving over losing a loved one. "We have to approach people at the worst time of their lives."

5. I'm too old to be a donor - "This is simply not true. Your age does not automatically disqualify you as a donor. Nor does a troubled medical history. Our staff carefully evaluates every donor to determine suitability. Age though, is no reason to not be a donor."

Anyone interested in being a donor should register with Donate Life America, the national registry for donors. In 2005, the Legislature created a statewide organ donor registry and public awareness program with passage of the Donor Education, Awareness and Registry, or DEAR, law. The online registry is linked to the state's driver's license and car registration systems, so that when people renew their driver's licenses or car registrations, they can also show that they want to be a donor.

On June 29, UTHSCSA Organ &; Tissue Transplant team and Donate Life Texas will sponsor a San Antonio Missions game where fans can sign up to be organ and tissue donors.

James says that it's vital for people to convey to their families their desire to be a donor.

"Why put your family through that stress when you can make your wishes clear?" he asks.