The vast majority of Americans are in favor of organ donation. More than half say they have signed a donor card or indicated their wish to donate on their driver's license. Although these are legal documents, organ donation is always discussed with family members prior to the donation. To ensure that your family understands your wishes, it is important that you share your decision to donate LIFE.
Become a Donor > Find out what you need to do to become a donor and ensure your wishes will be carried out. Find answers to commonly asked questions about living donation. Request a donor card. Send an e-postcard.
Get the Facts > Check out organ donation facts and transplantation statistics; review stories of hope and visit related links.
Promote Donation > Discover the simple things you can do to help promote donation.
Each day about 60 people receive an organ transplant, but another 17 people on the waiting list die because not enough organs are available.
Talk to your family members about organ and tissue donation so they know your wishes. Even if you've signed something, your family may be asked to give consent before donation can occur.
Be an organ and tissue donor. You could save or enhance the lives of more than 50 people!
It isn't every day you can do something to save someone's life. But it can be a common experience — if you give blood. This year over 4 million Americans will need a "transfusion" to survive illness or injury. Next year even more will need it as demand continues to grow.
Blood is indeed something special. It can't be manufactured, and it can't be replaced with animal blood. Yet, statistics show only five percent of all possible donors actually roll up their sleeves and give.
Blood bank organizations constantly seek new donors. Those who fit the bill include individuals between 17 and 76 years old who weigh at least 110 pounds. Young people, in particular, are in demand. Why? For the most part, they're healthier than other age groups and thus more able to give. They can donate blood for a lifetime, ensuring a steady source of blood.
Giving blood doesn't just benefit recipients. Regardless of age, donating blood offers many benefits for donors. It lets you:
The demand for blood never lets up. Every day, thousands of people need donations to live. Before they can receive it, donated blood must go through time-consuming tests. Then, it must be used relatively quickly or it will perish — whole blood, for instance, is no longer usable after 42 days. As a result, maintaining an adequate blood supply is a challenge — especially when a disaster occurs, which may cause the need for blood to soar. The only way to meet demand is to have regular donations from healthy volunteers.
Blood drives are held throughout the year at schools, churches, synagogues, military bases, places of business and organizations in your community. Check the health section of your local newspaper for blood drive listings, and look in the Yellow Pages for the telephone number of the blood collection organization nearest you.
Information included in this WebWatch is from: http://www.organdonor.gov/, http://www.SHAREYOURLIFE.ORG, and http://www.metlife.com/Lifeadvice/Health/. These sites are also great for finding other links.