What they don’t know is that the most important way of ‘registering’ to become an organ donor is to talk about it with ones friends and family. In that small way, an individual would already have registered his or her wishes to people whom he knows will carry out what he wants if and when the individual will pass away. It is most advisable as well that a person who has decided to donate his organs when he dies, is to discuss this decision with the person who will have the final say. For example if you were single and you have decided to donate your organs when the time comes, you would communicate your decision to your parents. Or, if you were a husband who has come to such a decision as well, you would tell your wife.

Yes, there are forms to fill out and an organ donor card that can be issued to a person once a decision like this has been made but as was stated earlier, a persons’ talking this kind of choice over with family and friends already ensures that his or her wishes be carried. The forms are merely for formality and also for certain situations where in other people need to know as well. A common example of this is when an individual meets an accident and dies as a result and there is no one available to let the medical people know of the said individuals wishes and by the time the family is able to communicate with the medical people, it is already to late for the organs to be harvested.

In principle, contrary to most peoples’ common notion those only organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and eyes are what they can donate and can be transplanted. This notion is actually not entirely true as facts said that currently, transplanted human tissues include bone, corneas, skin, heart valves, veins, cartilage and other connective tissues. Tissues such as these can be used to treat patients suffering from congenital defects, blindness, visual impairment, trauma, burns, dental defects, arthritis, cancer, vascular and heart disease. In addition, many heart valves are used to treat children with congenital defects of their own heart valves.

The medical world categorizes organ donors into two types. The first type is what they call the living-related donor, the second the cadaver donor. The living-related donor is just what the title states, this would be a person who is related to the patient and is willing to donate one of his or her organs. Let us stress that the act of organ donation is without any danger to the donor’s life and will not cause any alteration to the donors physical activities. Now for a living-related organ donation, not all organs cited above can be donated. The only organs that can be donated by a living-related donor will be one kidney, bone marrow, and a part of the liver. Obviously a living related donor cannot donate his corneas nor his heart because that goes against the rule that organ donation should not cause any danger to the donor’s life and should not cause any alteration to his physical activities.

The cadaver donor has suffered injury by trauma or disease to the brain, destroying brain functions. Before an individual can become a cadaver donor, he or she has to be certified as brain dead. For some countries, here in the Philippines, it would take the certification of a neurologist or neurosurgeon supported by imaging studies like X-rays, CT scans, MRI’s and ECG’s. If the donor has been tagged as brain dead, organs that can be harvested which include kidneys, the liver, bone marrow, long bones, corneas, pancreas, lungs and the heart are then collected with after a signed consent of the nearest-of-kin, or if declared in the donors last will and testament. Some countries though, like Singapore, Spain and Denmark, their system decrees that that unless the donor has previously indicated his refusal to donate, his organs can be harvested.

Filipinos are known for their deep family ties and religious devotion, not to mention for their superstitious and traditional beliefs. These and misinformation about organ donation are the biggest reasons why cadaver harvests are grimly low. Some of the seriously damaging myths borne from misinformation are that potential donors believe that their bodies will be mutilated when the organs are harvested. The fact of the matter is donated organs are surgically removed in a routine operation similar to appendix removal making normal funeral arrangements possible. Of course when a donor decides to donate, let it also be known that a declaration of this intent doesn’t mean that all possible organs will be harvested, a donor has the right to specify which particular organ to donate. It is also in this country where you will here someone say “I can’t donate blood, my religion forbids it.” What more if one would suggest to this type of person about donating a body organ?

Often times though, it isn’t the religion but the person itself who thinks it is forbidden. In the Philippines, it is a fact that all organized religions support donation, which is characteristic of a generous act – an individual’s choice. Questions about whether or not one is of the right age to become an organ donor is apparently being asked, the answer is, someone as young as a newborn can be an organ donor. Age limits for organ donation no longer exists, however, the general age limit for donors donating tissue is seventy.

There also are questions leaning on the paranoid where a potential donor thinks that should he be in an accident or other life threatening situation and the medical respondents know that he wants to be a donor, the doctors will no try to save his life. This is absolutely untrue. The medical team treating any type of patients’ goal is to use all life saving efforts to save the patient. The transplant team, which is separate from the medical team treating a patient, is not notified until a patient has been certified as brain dead. And that is not until the patients’ family has consented to donation.

As new as organ donation may seem, or as foreign, to the Filipino culture, what everyone should bear in mind is that organ donation is equivalent to saving lives. Aside from that transplant can also be ‘life-enhancing’. When one loses his or her eyesight we can only imagine the devastation that person goes through. Giving the gift of sight to someone such as this person can mean another shot at life, a rebirth that can only be a dream if we don’t become more open to the idea of organ donation.

Here’s a quote from the ‘The Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines’ website:
“the scene was a sad and all
too common one, a person gone blind, usually, young and
poor…
…in need of a corneal
transplant to restore his sight;
a doctor technically skilled to
do so but helpless
nonetheless…
simply because of the utter
lack of precious cornea
tissues”

Is it not worth it to give someone else a chance if you yourself can call it a good life and are ready to move on from this earth?
The Organ Donor Card Project was conceived by an organization called the ‘Human Organ Preservation Effort’ other wise called H.O.P.E. to help relatives make the decision to donate. It is said to be not the equivalent of a legal consent document as of the prevent time however it can help relatives of the donor realize that their kin has consented before hand and that perhaps his wishes be respected.

A properly filled up Organ Donor Card indicates a person’s willingness to help someone even after his passing. The card serves as a personal consent form for organ donation and indicates to both medical personnel and relatives (if it hasn’t been discussed with them yet) that this individual is willing to donate his or her organs for transplant. Le it be reiterated that the presence of such a card on an individual does not mean that aggressive life-saving measures will not be performed in the event of an emergency.

A fact to note, the Philippines having a population of approximately 76.4 million people, according to the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, has only four Transplant Coordinators for the entire country. From the listing of H.O.P.E’s website* they are:
Helen F. Alonzo, RN – Supervisor
Maria Aurora A. Yusi, RN
Marilou L. Garcia
Maria Paz C. Jose – Secretary
*I suggest you visit the H.O.P.E website as well for first hand information at his link:
Another website which also acted as my reference and worthy of visiting for more information on being an eye donor is from this link.

Below is what the organ donor card and eye donor card look like.

I encourage everyone from the mildly curious to the one’s who really want know to ask and find out more, after all no one can give you pressure about matters such as this and only you can truly have the power to decide whether or not you would like to donate your organs.