The number of deceased organ donors in the United States actually decreased in 2008. So did the number of live organ donors. According to published reports, this is the first time that donations are down since organ donor tracking began approximately twenty years ago.
Therefore, the number of transplants in the United States also decreased in 2008. At the same time, the number of people waiting for transplants increased as did the number of people on waiting lists for transplants. It was reported that the transplant waiting list reached 100,000 in 2008, and approximately 50,000 people will be expected to be added to the list in 2009.
However, there is some good news in that the reported deaths on the transplant waiting list decreased after reaching a high of almost 7,000 in 2004. The data reported 6,229 deaths in 2008.
With fewer donors, few transplants, and more people waiting for the transplants, can it really be that fewer people are dying? As it turns out, the answer is no. The statistic only measures people who were removed from the waiting list because they died. There is another important category: people who were removed from the waiting list before they died. The people were removed because while they were waiting, they became too sick to undergo transplant surgery. This number has been going up, but it appears that the numbers to be reported for all categories may be skewed since it is difficult to track this important statistic.
If you wish to become an organ donor, you should be sure to include that specific language within your Health Proxy, Living Will or Advanced Medical Directive. Most states also have passed the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, which allows a person to have their preference of being an organ donor placed on their driver’s license.
Information courtesy of Dave Undis, LifeSharers, May, 2009
Shared by: Hyman G. Darling, Esq.
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