ONE PERSON HAS THE POWER to save eight lives through organ donation, give sight to two people through cornea donation, and heal 125 others through tissue donation.
Although the community is largely supportive of organ, eye, and tissue donation, there are some misconceptions about donation that may prevent someone from registering as a donor. Some of those misconceptions are perpetuated on medical drama television shows, where some writers do not let the facts get in the way of a good dramatic story. Life Connection of Ohio encourages everyone to learn the facts so they are armed with accurate information before making their personal decision.
Will doctors try to save my life if I am a registered donor?
Yes. Every effort will be made to save someone’s life, regardless of their choice to donate. The medical staff dedicated to saving lives at hospitals is separate from those who coordinate donation. It is only after all life-saving efforts have been exhausted that donation becomes an option.
Can I still have a viewing if I donate?
Yes. The organ recovery surgery is a very careful, respectful procedure, and if an open-casket funeral was possible before donation, it should be possible afterward.
Is my religion against donation?
Probably not. All major religions in the United States either encourage donation, viewing it as a generous last act of charity, or leave the decision up to the individual.
Will there be a cost to my family if I donate?
No. All costs associated with donation are the responsibility of the organ and/or tissue recovery organization.
Can rich or famous people buy their way to the top of the waiting list?
No. The national transplant waiting list exists because everyone must wait on it, regardless of wealth or celebrity status. The only way to move to the top of the waiting list is to be extremely sick.
Am I too old or too sick to donate?
Not necessarily. The oldest organ donor was 95, and people with histories of diabetes, cancer, and other diseases have still been able to give the gift of life. It is important to register as a donor regardless of age or health conditions, as medical professionals will determine whether someone’s organs and tissues are healthy enough to transplant after death.
The reality is that nearly 110,000 people are waiting for life-saving organ transplants in the United States, including more than 3,000 Ohioans. A new name is added to the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes, and 20 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant.
Life Connection of Ohio volunteer Tonya Gomez once feared she would fall in the died-waiting category. Because of cystic fibrosis, she could not laugh without having a coughing spell. She had to endure daily aerosol and postural drainage treatments to help loosen lung secretions. She could not eat without taking enzymes before every meal. Normal, everyday activities became impossible because of her exhaustion.
Getting through the workday was a struggle. Some mornings, Tonya physically could not get out of bed. If she mustered the strength to get to work, she fought her body’s urge to fall asleep. She knew it was bad, but she “didn’t want to come to terms with it,” Tonya said.
Tonya had frequent doctor’s appointments, and after one of her routine visits in September 2003, the doctor made her call her boss and say she could not return to work because she was too sick. On December 18, 2003, she was put on the waiting list for a double lung transplant, and doctors estimated her wait would be approximately two years.
Tonya could not imagine two more years of wearing oxygen 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Of fighting her exhaustion to stay awake in church. Of working up the energy to take a shower and battling the urge to sleep afterward. Of not being active with her twoyear- old son. Of reading countless stories online about people who died waiting for transplants. Of not being able to sleep at night because she was afraid she would not wake up in the morning. Of trying to live on 19% lung function.
“The call” came five months and one week after Tonya was put on the waiting list. On May 25, 2004, Tonya received a life-saving double lung transplant. “I don’t think I realized how sick I really was until I took my first breath after my transplant. It was an amazing feeling to be able to breathe,” Tonya said.
Tonya returned home with energy she had never experienced in her 31 years. She could play with her son without fear that he would take off running and she would not be able to catch him. She held her breath much longer than the two measly seconds she could before her transplant. She laughed at the air compressor—without coughing—as she blew up a whole inflatable pool by herself.
Tonya is grateful for her donor hero, Adam. “I’m honoring Adam by taking care of the lungs I’ve been given. I received this gift, and I feel compelled to share it with everybody,” Tonya said. “We have a saying—‘Live like your donor is watching.’” And she does. Every single day.
Tonya volunteers for Life Connection of Ohio, the non-profit organization that serves families and saves lives through organ donation. To learn more about organ donation or to say “yes” to saving lives, visit lifeconnection.org.
Kara Steele is Director of Community Services for Life Connection of Ohio.
✲
