Organ donors need more than a sticker

Sticker Indicates Intention, Not An Ultimate Decision

By Mary-Jo Lomax / Special to La Voz

February 12, 2006

I read the obituary of a man who died at only 26 years old in a rock-climbing accident on Jan. 14. He'd been a paramedic and I'm sure he must have saved many lives in his line of work. Amazingly, he saved many lives even after he died because he was an organ donor. The newspaper article said that his liver, pancreas and heart, lungs and kidneys were all donated to people who were waiting for an organ transplant.

I've had a little pink "donor" dot on my driver's license for years but I don't really know how my organs would be donated when I die. Unless I died in an auto accident, who would even look at my driver's license? I decided to investigate the situation.

What I learned is that the donor dot on my driver's license is not a directive; it simply indicates my intention to donate. The decision to donate my organs would be up to my next of kin. And not only that, but if I die without my driver's license handy, no one would even be aware of my intention to donate my organs because my name is not on any kind of list.

I also learned that there is an organ and tissue donor registry called "Donate Life California." The registry, which was established in 2003, is maintained by California's four federal nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPOs). So now, whenever anybody dies in California, one of the OPOs is notified and they are able to immediately check to see if the name of the deceased is on the Registry.

If you have a donor dot on your license, I suggest you make your decision known by registering at www.donatelifecalifornia.org. Even if you haven't considered being an organ donor, check out the Donate Life California website and learn more about it.

If I am in an accident, and the hospital knows that I want to be a donor, they will withhold treatment and not attempt to save my life.

Medical professionals will do everything they can to save your life. The doctors who work to save your life are not the same doctors involved with organ donation. It is only after every attempt has been made to save your life that donation will be considered. In fact, from a medical standpoint, patients must receive the most aggressive life-saving care in order to be potential organ donors.

I worry they'll take out my organs before I'm dead.

Organ and tissue donation is only accepted following the declaration of death by a doctor not involved in transplantation. In California, two licensed physicians must make the diagnosis of brain death before the potential donor's family is consulted regarding donation.

My religion does not support organ donation.

Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish faiths support donation as an act of human benevolence in keeping with religious doctrine. They believe that this is essentially a gift of life to another person. Meanwhile, the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam believe that organ donation is a matter of individual conscience. If you have questions in this regard, we encourage you to consult with your religious leader. No major religion opposes organ donation

Mary-Jo Lomax is a health educator at De Anza College. For more information, visit the Health Center in the Hinson Campus Center.

Copyright © 2006 La Voz Online.

This article posted March 4, 2006.