Tissue Donors Make a Difference, Too

Tennessee Organ Donor Foundation, Inc.

Even though it does not get the publicity or notoriety that organ donation does,tissue donation makes a huge, positive impact on peoples' lives, too. In fact, studies show that only about 2% of registered organ donors are actually able to donate their organs at time of death. There are a number of reasons the percentage is so low. The person's cause of death and / or various factors involving their prior health history can sometimes preclude someone from being an organ donor. However, even if someone is unable to be an organ donor, nearly everyone can be a tissue donor. In fact, just one tissue donor can improve as many as 50 lives !!

The types of tissues that can be donated include corneas (eyes), bone, skin, ligaments, tendons, and heart valves. One person that knows the value of tissue donation is Janice Smith of Maryland Heights, MO. Up until a few years ago, she suffered from a genetic eye disease called Fuchs' Dystrophy. The disease causes the deterioration of the cells of the cornea, the clear membrane that covers the front of the eye, leading to fluid buildup and blurry vision.

Read more: http://savelivestn.blogspot.com/2012/04/tissue-donors-make-difference-too.html