SAN ANTONIO – April is National Donate Life Month, a time set aside to recognize organ donors and the people whose lives have been changed by a transplant.
It’s also a moment to highlight the work of caregivers, medical teams and others who support patients through a process that can be long, complicated and deeply personal.
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The need for organ donors is still high.
More than 100,000 people in the United States are currently on the transplant waiting list. For many families, the idea of organ donation comes up during moments they never expected.
For others, it starts with a choice made ahead of time, whether to register as a donor after death or consider living donation.
Either way, medical experts often describe donation as one way a single decision can have a wide reach.
Organ Donation
In general, a person who donates organs after death can save as many as eight lives through organ transplantation.
Donation can also help others through tissue and cornea donation, improving the lives of up to 75 people.
Living Donors
Living donation is another option for some people. A living donor may be able to donate a kidney or a portion of their liver, depending on health factors and medical eligibility.
Liver donation is unique because surgeons remove only part of the organ.
The remaining liver tissue can regenerate in the donor’s body, and the portion transplanted can grow in the recipient, with the liver typically returning to full size and function within a short amount of time.
So, what can be donated?
After death, eight major organs can potentially be transplanted: kidneys, liver, intestines, heart, pancreas and lungs, along with corneas and other tissue that can help restore sight or improve quality of life.
How to become a donor?
Donation isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it isn’t a decision people make for the same reasons.
During Donate Life Month, health leaders encourage anyone curious about donation to learn more about how transplant works, what it can (and can’t) do, and what the process looks like for donors and recipients then make the choice that feels right for them.
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