After facing years of dialysis for a kidney condition with which he had been born, he received a cadaveric (from a deceased donor) kidney transplant. It transformed his life. He later became a physician. We have lost touch over the years, but I have no doubt that gift has enabled him to make a valuable contribution back to his community. In many ways, it was a gift of life.
In the United States, there are more than 100,000 people on the organ transplant waiting list. Each day, an average of 79 people receive organ transplants while an average of 18 people die waiting for a transplant that was not available.
Among the most common organs transplanted are kidney, heart, liver and lung. The medical science is sufficiently advanced that organ transplantation has become an acceptable treatment for organ failure, a condition that in years past had few if any treatment options. More than 70 percent of organ transplant recipients survive at least five years after most types of organ transplants.
Yet, despite all this, the gap between people on the transplant waiting list and available organs is widening. In short, there are too few donors available to meet the need. Organs donors can be living or deceased. Living donors can provide a kidney or a portion of the liver, lung or intestine. Deceased donors can provide six types of organs: kidney, pancreas, liver, lungs, heart and intestines, as well as various tissues. A single deceased donor can provide organs or tissues for up to eight recipients.
Read more: http://durangoherald.com/article/20120521/COLUMNISTS16/705219993/-1/s
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