Myth vs. Reality and Facts
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION
MYTH vs REALITY
Myth #1
If a family member dies at home, the body needs to be shifted to the hospital for organ donation
Reality #1
Tissues like the eyes and skin can be donated even at home (Details under Eye Donation).
Organs like the kidneys, liver, heart can be donated only if it is a brain death, which is declared only in an ICU so the body is already at the hospital and does not need to be shifted anywhere.
Myth #2
Age or health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity are a disqualification for organ donation
Reality #2
Age or medical conditions do not disqualify anyone from filling the pledge form during their lifetime. It is the doctors who decide at the time of one’s death about the suitability of organs for donation.
Myth #3
Organ donation may cause disfigurement of the donor’s body
Reality #3
Organs are always removed with the greatest care in an operating theatre and there is no disfigurement. The surgical incision is closed and covered by a dressing in the normal way.
Myth #4
Normal funeral rites are not possible after an organ donation
Reality #4
The body is handed back to the family with the greatest respect and dignity, and all the normal funeral rites are carried out.
Myth #5
The donor’s family will be charged for organ donation
Reality #5
Costs involved in recovering and processing organs are never passed on to the donor family.
Myth #6
One cannot withdraw one’s decision to be an organ donor after signing the pledge form.
Reality #6
One can withdraw one’s pledge at any time simply by informing one’s family members of the changed decision.
Myth #7
It is legally binding for surviving family members to donate the organs if the deceased had signed a pledge form in his lifetime
Reality #7
The final decision to donate the organs of a deceased family member rests with the next of kin at the time of death. The pledge form or donor card have no legal standing.
Myth #8
An organ can be bought for a needy family member
Reality #8
Under the ‘Transplant of Human Organs (and Tissues) Act, 1994, “any commercial dealing in organs is a punishable offence.”
NOTE: When organs are donated by a deceased donor, they are allocated only as per the State-maintained waiting list while a donation by a living donor can be made only to a “near relative” as defined by the Act, in both cases without any monetary consideration.
Myth #9
Religion does not support organ donation
Reality #9
All religions endorse ‘giving,’ and many religious leaders in India and throughout the world have voiced their support for organ donation as a noble expression of the highest humanitarian ideas.
IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION
Q) Which are the organs that can be donated by a deceased donor?
In case of a regular death (cardiac death), only tissues such as the eyes and skin can be donated, and within 6-8 hours of the death. Other tissues include the bones, heart valves, blood vessels, etc.
Organs like the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, intestines, etc. can be donated only in the case of a brain death. Recently, organs like the uterus and hands too have been donated.
Q) What is brain death and what is its relevance to organ donation?
Brain death is a kind of death that results from a permanent and irreversible damage to the brain stem, as caused by a
road accident or a brain haemorrhage. A brain death is declared only in the ICU of a hospital, and because of ventilator support, blood supply to the organs can be maintained for a maximum of 36 to 72 hours. During this period, if the family gives its consent for organ donation, all suitable organs can be retrieved.
Q) How is brain death different from coma?
Brain death is death while coma is a state of deep sleep. A coma patient is not eligible for organ donation as he is not dead.
Q) How is Organ Donation (Ang Daan) different from Whole Body Donation (Deh daan)?
Although both are noble acts of helping humanity, they are different in some ways.
The laws governing the two are also different. Organ Donation is governed by the Transplant of Human Organs (and Tissues) Act, THOA, 1994, whole Whole Body Donation is governed by the Anatomy Act, 1949.
After organs are extracted in Organ Donation, the body is handed back to the family and all the normal funeral rites are carried out.
In Full Body Donation, the body is donated for research and study by medical students and is not given back to the family. The body is donated to a medical college authorised for this purpose.
Note: A body that has gone through post-mortem or that had some infectious disease is generally not accepted for Full Body Donation. A body that has donated any organs is also not accepted. Only the eyes (and sometimes skin) can be donated before Full Body Donation.
Further information about Full Body Donation may be obtained from a medical college. The purpose of the Live Kingsize Die Kingsize Foundation is to spread awareness about Organ and Tissue Donation.
Q) What are some simple points to ensure a smooth eye donation at home?
Kindly see the section under Eye Donation.
Thank You For Your Interest In Learning More About Organ Donation
By being an Organ Donor, you can save the lives of up to 8 individuals and save or improve the lives of up to 50 people by donating tissues and eyes.
- It is the most compassionate way to carry your legacy forward
- You can save 8 lives and give vision to 6 people
- You can give hope to a family who has lost all hope
- You can earn a family’s blessings to sail through your after-life
- You don’t need your organs after you are gone but someone will live because you chose to be an organ donor
- You can recycle the most precious resource – your organs
- You can leave an organ and LIVE ON!