National Donor Day 

National Donor Day ~ The Beat Goes On ~. 

Observed every year on February 14, National Donor Day is dedicated to spreading awareness and education about organ, eye, and tissue donation. It is also a day to recognize those who have given and received the gift of life through donation, who are currently waiting for a life-saving transplant, and those who died waiting because an organ was not donated in time.

Organ Donation and Medical Marijuana: 

You may ask yourself if I consume Medical Marijuana or other substances, am I eligible to be an organ donor? YES, anyone can sign up to be a donor, regardless of age or medical history. 

Donated organs are tested for disease and cleared for any potential damage before transplantation. The organ recipient is made aware if a donor may be of higher risk and can decline the organ. Studies show that the risk of disease transmission from drug overdose donors is lower than the greater risk of dying on the transplant waitlist. 

A study published in the American Heart Association Journal in July 2021 showed statistically that drug use in the donor does not adversely affect the survival of the heart transplant recipient, especially when the donor organ is appropriately evaluated before transplantation. 

Take the Pledge to Donate life.

According to C.O.R.E. "A new person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes, and nearly 2,600 people are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia alone. Yet, only half of Pennsylvanians and a third of West Virginians are registered as organ donors."

There are currently over 106,000 people on the national transplant waiting list 2-9-2022. You can learn more about the numbers and see specific statistical breakdowns with Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network National Data. 

According to the 2019 National Survey on Organ Donation Attitudes and Practices, which measured public opinion on organ donation and transplantation, 90% of adults support organ donation. Still, only 60% are registered as donors. More organ donors are needed because only 3 in 1,000 people die in a way that allows organ donation.

One Maitri's Family Decision:

As death was imitating life and with all the love that a mother's heart can hold, I whispered to him: "For you, I can do anything." His soul soars in a better and peaceful place, his body was taken to help others, and their families live fuller lives, and we buried the addiction with the hope of a new day and the ending of the opioid epidemic. He may have died with his music still in him, but his beat goes on. We checked YES. 

One person can save the lives of eight through organ donation and heal the lives of 75 through tissue donation. It only takes 30 seconds to register: https://donatelifepa.org/register.

Resources and More Information: 


References: 
The Center for Organ Recovery & Education https://www.core.org/ (Accessed 2-9-2022)

Hearts from donors who used illicit drugs or overdosed safe for transplant, cuts wait time  https://newsroom.heart.org/news/hearts-from-donors-who-used-illicit-drugs-or-overdosed-safe-for-transplant-cuts-wait-time (Accessed 2-9-2022) 

Intoxicated Donors and Heart Transplant Outcomes: Long-Term Safety https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.120.007433 (Accessed 2-9-2022) 

Dickert-Conlin, Stacy and Elder, Todd E. and Lemont, Bethany and Teltser, Keith, Opioids and Organs: How Overdoses Affect the Supply and Demand for Organ Transplants (June 9, 2021). Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Research Paper Series Forthcoming, Available@SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3865764 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3865764

Dor Yoeli, Rashikh A Choudhury, Trevor L Nydam, James J Pomposelli, John A Goss, Elizabeth A Pomfret, Michael E Wachs, Megan A Adams, The Surge in Deceased Liver Donors Due to the Opioid Epidemic, Transplantation, 10.1097/TP.0000000000003491

Disclaimer: This information is intended for educational purposes only. It would be best not to rely on this information to substitute for or replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Suppose you have any concerns or questions about your health. In that case, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. The F.D.A. has not evaluated this information, nor is it intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease or disorder of any kind.


Marisa maraugha