Over 600,000 Americans are waiting for an organ or tissue
transplant. Organ and tissue transplantation is a routine practice
that can dramatically improve -- and even save -- the lives
of those suffering from vital organ failure, or those suffering
from bone defects, burns and blindness. Given
this second chance, transplant recipients return to normal,
productive
lives.
IMPROVED
surgical techniques and new anti-rejection drugs now
permit
successful transplantation of organs and tissues, such
as heart, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas, cornea, bone, skin
and other soft tissues.
For
many diseases, organ transplantation is the only accepted
medical treatment to offer a chance of survival.
Heart
and liver donations are a matter of immediate life
and death. Donated kidneys eliminate weekly dialysis
treatments. A donated pancreas may "cure" someone's
diabetes. Donated eyes not only provide corneas for
sight-restoring corneal transplantations but also vital
eye tissue for other surgical procedures and for research
into blinding eye disorders.
Bone
transplants may avert a need for amputation; skin donations
save the lives of severe burn victims. State,
regional and national computerized networks keep track
of potential recipients.
Transplant
recipients are selected on the basis of medical
criteria, urgency of need and length of waiting time.
We need a strong
donor program. Anyone may be a candidate for a
transplant in the future, perhaps a member of your
own family.
Because
of the great need, additional legislation has now been enacted
in many states. Known as "Required Request,"
the new laws require that hospital personnel ask family
members to consider giving permission for
donation.
This request
will give families an opportunity to consider donation.
Those who do, claim that it helps ease their own
grief by helping others in great need.
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