According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, one person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes. And every day, an average of 20 people die while waiting for a transplant. Becoming an organ donor is an impactful and important decision, and more than just the heart symbol on our driver’s licenses. Healthy New Albany Magazine sat down with Lifeline of Ohio’s media and public relations coordinator, Jessica Petersen, and supervisor of organ recovery services, Molly Urbancic, to discuss the impact organ donation can have.
HNA: What is Lifeline of Ohio? What are the goals of the organization, and why is it important?
LO: Lifeline of Ohio is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes and coordinates the donation of human organs and tissue for transplantation. Lifeline of Ohio serves 72 hospitals in 37 counties in Ohio and two in West Virginia, and is designated as an organ procurement organization through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Lifeline of Ohio’s mission is to empower our community to save and heal lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Our mission is important because there are more than 117,000 Americans waiting for their second chance at life through organ, eye and tissue transplantation.
HNA: Why should someone become an organ donor? How does one become an organ donor?
LO: Advances in medical science have made transplant surgery extremely successful. The major problem is that there are thousands of Americans waiting for a second chance at life, yet there are not enough registered organ donors to meet the growing need.
The importance of registering your decision to donate is critical because the opportunity to donate is so rare. Organ donation only occurs in 1 percent of all deaths. We need all Ohioans registered to give hope to those who are waiting.
You can register online at www.lifelineofohio.org. Say “yes” when receiving or renewing your driver license or state ID at the BMV, or call 800-525-5667 to request a paper brochure.
HNA: What are the biggest obstacles when it comes to educating others on becoming organ donors?
LO: Myths such as “I’m too old to donate” or “I’ve used and abused my body, no one would want my organs” are statements we hear every day. Lifeline of Ohio encourages everyone to register regardless of their medical conditions. At the time of your passing, medical professionals will determine if you are suitable to be a donor. Health and age should never be a self-rule out.
HNA: Are there any factors that may disqualify a person from becoming an organ donor?
LO: No. We advise everyone to register their decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, and let the medical professionals determine at the time of their passing if they are suitable to become a donor.
HNA: What organs and tissues can be donated?
LO: One donor can save eight lives through organ donation, restore the sight of two through cornea donation and heal more than 50 through tissue donation.
Organs that can be donated include kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine. Tissues that can be donated include heart valves, corneas, skin, bone, ligaments, tendons, nerves, fascia and veins. A deceased donor can give all of this, and a living donor can give a kidney or a portion of the liver, lung, small intestine or pancreas. Kidneys are the most needed organ with more than 100,000 waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant.
HNA: Describe the “life” of an organ once it’s given the OK to be donated. What is the process of recovering the organ, preserving it and giving it to the recipient?
LO: When a person is eligible to be an organ donor, the Lifeline of Ohio team will do an evaluation to see which organs have the potential to be transplanted. When organs are deemed suitable for transplantation, the donor’s information will be matched with recipients from the national database maintained by the United Network for Organ Sharing. The recipient’s transplant center will then evaluate the organs and determine if they are a good fit for its candidate.
Once the organs have been allocated and accepted by the transplant center, the donor is taken to the operating room for recovery. After a moment of silence to honor the gifts, each organ for transplant is carefully recovered and packaged according to policy. The organs are then transported directly to the recipient center to be transplanted.
HNA: How can we make the process quicker for those on the waiting list?
LO: To help alleviate the wait for a life-saving organ, we need all Americans to register their decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.
HNA: How does a recipient’s life change once he or she receives the needed transplant?
LO: Organ, eye and tissue recipients are overwhelmingly grateful and humbled by their second chance at life. To read stories of hope, please visit www.lifelineofohio.org/blog.
HNA: What should the organ donor’s loved ones expect along the process of organ donation?
LO: Lifeline of Ohio’s Bereavement Services Department offers a 13-month after-care program providing supportive resources for donor families at eight different intervals throughout the grief journey. They receive items such as a donation outcome family letter, grief materials, cards and resources on ways to honor their loved one. Losing a loved one is difficult. Lifeline of Ohio is there to help all of our donor families through this process.
HNA: What if members of your family are opposed to donation?
LO: If you’re under 18, it’s important that you discuss your decision to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor with your family because they are able to amend or revoke your decision at the time of death. We recommend you speak with your family about registering your decision to donate so they know your choice and can support your wishes.
There is no cost to a family if someone decides to be a donor, and if an open casket was possible before organ and tissue recovery, it will still be possible afterward. All major U.S. religions support donation as the altruistic, giving gift of life.
HNA: Will the quality of medical treatment be different if someone decides to register as an organ donor?
LO: No. The medical professionals’ job is to save the life of the patient they are working with. The quality of medical treatment will not be different if someone says yes to donation.
About the Experts:
Jessica Petersen
Jessica Petersen’s career spanned nonprofit, health care and higher education before she found her career home at Lifeline of Ohio in 2014 as its media and public relations coordinator. Petersen coordinates Lifeline of Ohio’s social media presence, media relations in 39 Ohio and West Virginia counties, and two corporate websites. Her focus every day is to register Ohioans into the Ohio Donor Registry to help save and heal lives through donation and transplantation.
Molly Urbancic
Molly Urbancic, R.N., B.S.N., C.P.T.C., has worked for Lifeline of Ohio since 2013 as the supervisor of organ recovery services. Earlier in her career, she was a level one trauma ICU nurse who witnessed the impact of organ donation on families faced with unimaginable tragedy. Through her work at Lifeline of Ohio, she continues to proudly honor donor wishes and serve the community through her role in organ donation and transplantation.
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
RELATED READS
