Organ Donation Regulation

[BlueDevil]

Burton brings up a good point in another thread:

"I have inscribed on my drivers license – Donor – and I encourage everybody to do the same. You have no idea how warming it is to have the hope that when my journey is finished I might still have the ability to help someone else to a fuller life – eyes for the blind, an organ that still works for somebody who desperately needs it, or even skin for a burn victim."

I have thought about this for a while now, given that I'm facing a transplant myself. Obviously, donating our hearts is out of the question, but are there any other factors that prevent donating other organs and tissue? For example, what about all the medications running through our systems and such?

If I am not allowed to give blood (because of the meds and other factors, one of which is the fact I'm gay) am I allowed to donate organs?

[Reenie]

I don't know the answer to your questions. I do know that Beverly's new heart came from a girl who OD'd so I would guess it depends on what drugs you take and how long you've taken them. I don't know about the guidelines for gay people. I guess you could call the Red Cross maybe and someone can direct you to a place for answers.

Reenie

[Linda]

http://www.unos.org/

Check the above website. It should give you all the info you need. One donor can help up to 75 people - heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, intestine, tissues ( bone, tendons, ligaments, heart valves, skin, corneas).

FDA Regs - "The Good Tissues Practices", are in place to prevent infection and disease. FDA, in 1993, began regulating tissue thru mandated screeing for HIV, Hepatitis, and "behavorial risk factors". I didn't review the site for updates on this, but I think there must be an area for questions. Hope this helps.

Any time we can put forth organ donation info, it will surely help someone - Linda

[Midge Rollins]

At this point there are really no drugs that prevent you from donating. The main thing is healthy organs, blood, tissue. they do extensive testing on both donor and recipient. Aids, and hepatitis of course would make a donor ineligible. As well as some other immune disease. They try to match both donor and recipient as close as possible. Blood type of course must match, size of organ, and recipient, in some transplants (kidney, liver) tissue matching must be done. Hearts that is not a problem. My donor had a naive use of drugs in high school. Nothing that damaged his organs. At one of my last support group meetings at Mayo this spring they talked of a 91 yr old who was able to donate his liver. The oldest organ donor ever. Some cancers do prevent donation depending on recent activity of the disease. I too am a organ donor. Interesting enough my heart can be re donated. So, if I were in an accident or had a stroke and my heart was still healthy someone else could benefit. The beat does go on.

[SteveArbo]

No comment on the drug issue but, my .02 is please everyone that wants to be a donor, make sure and tell/talk to your family, friends or whomever may be asked the question when and if you become elegible to be an organ donor. If they don't know your wishes, it may not happen. The tranplant team won't be asking you!