Gifts of life are fitting on Valentine’s Day and any other day of the year.
February 8, 2024By Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Chocolates and flowers are great gifts for Valentine’s Day. But what if the gifts we give then or throughout the year could be truly life-changing? A gift that could save a life or free someone from dialysis?
You can do this. For people in need of an organ, tissue, or blood donation, a donor can give them a gift that exceeds the value of anything that you can buy. Fittingly, Valentine’s Day is also known as National Donor Day, a time for blood drives and sign-ups for organ and tissue donation. Have you ever wondered what can be donated? Had reservations about donating after death or concerns about risks for live donors? Read on.
The enormous impact of organ, tissue, or cell donation
Imagine you have kidney failure requiring dialysis 12 or more hours each week just to stay alive. Even with this, you know you’re still likely to die a premature death. Or, if your liver is failing, you may experience severe nausea, itching, and confusion; death may only be a matter of weeks or months away. For those with cancer in need of a bone marrow transplant, or someone who’s lost their vision due to corneal disease, finding a donor may be their only good option.
Organ or tissue donation can turn these problems around, giving recipients a chance at a long life, a better quality of life, or both. And yet, the number of people who need organ donation far exceeds compatible donors. While national surveys have found about 90% of Americans support organ donation, only 40% have signed up. More than 103,000 women, men, and children are awaiting an organ transplant in the US. About 6,200 die each year, still waiting.
Protect yourself from the damage of chronic inflammation.
Science has proven that chronic, low-grade inflammation can turn into a silent killer that contributes to cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other conditions. Get simple tips to fight inflammation and stay healthy — from Harvard Medical School experts.
LEARN MORE
View Protect yourself from the damage of chronic inflammation.
What can you donate?
The list of ways to help has grown dramatically. Some organs, tissues, or cells can be donated while you’re alive; other donations are only possible after death. A single donor can help more than 80 people!
After death, people can donate:
- bone, cartilage, and tendons
- corneas
- face and hands (though uncommon, they are among the newest additions to this list)
- kidneys
- liver
- lungs
- heart and heart valves
- stomach and intestine
- nerves
- pancreas
- skin
- arteries and veins.
Live donations may include:
- birth tissue, such as the placenta, umbilical cord, and amniotic fluid, which can be used to help heal skin wounds or ulcers and prevent infection
- blood cells, serum, or bone marrow
- a kidney
- part of a lung
- part of the intestine, liver, or pancreas.
To learn more about different types of organ donations, visit Donate Life America.
Becoming a donor after death: Questions and misconceptions
Common misconceptions about becoming an organ donor limit the number of people who are willing to sign up. For example, many people mistakenly believe that
Oregonstate News Blog 