Organ donation is the process of removing tissues or organs from a live, or recently dead, person to be used in another.

• The former is the donor and the latter is the recipient.
• People of all ages can become Donors.

Globally, over 500,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant.

Up to 25 different organs and tissues can be donated for transplantation.

• Transplantable organs include heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, and small intestines.
• Transplantable tissues include blood, blood vessels, bones, bone marrow, cartilage, connective tissues, eyes, heart valves, and skin.

Organs cannot be artificially made.

• Your gift of an organ will either save a person’s life or significantly improve a person’s life.
• You are 6 times more likely to need a transplant than is a donor
• 500,000 people die because of non-availability of an organ.r
• 200,000 people die of liver disease.
• 50,000 people die from heart disease
• 150,000 people await a kidney transplant but only 5,000 get one.
• 1,000,000 lakh people suffer from corneal blindness and await transplant nationally, with a population of 1.2 billion people, the statistic stands at 0.08 persons as organ donors per million populations (PMP). This is an incredibly small and insignificant number compared to the statistics around the world.

For any information on organ donation please contact Transplant Coordinator at 9888089761.

• MYTH: Organ donation is against my religion.
  

  FACT: Nearly every religion supports organ and tissue donation. Typically, religions view organ and tissue donation as acts of charity and individual choice. Donor Alliance urges you to discuss organ and tissue donation with your spiritual advisor if you have concerns on this issue.

• MYTH: My family won’t be able to view my body.
  

  FACT: Yes they will. The removal of organs and tissue is no different from any other surgical operation and is performed by highly skilled health professionals. The donor’s body is always treated with dignity and respect. The donation of organs and tissue does not alter the physical appearance of the body, and your family will be able to view your body.

• MYTH: I don’t need to donate my organs because thousands of others do.
  

  FACT: Few people die in such a way that donation is possible. Organ donors must die in hospital where their body can be medically supported until the organs can be donated

• MYTH: People only need organs because of bad lifestyle choices..
  

  FACT: Many people have an inherited genetic condition, a severe illness or disease that will kill them, often at a young age. Common genetic conditions are cardiomyopathy (which affects the heart), cystic fibrosis (the lungs) and biliary atresia (the liver). Corneal transplants restore sight to people following a disease or damage to their eyes. Heart valves are used to repair congenital defects in young children and replace defective valves due to diseases such as rheumatic fever, degeneration and infection.

• MYTH: My organs and tissue will be used for research.
  

  FACT: Organ donation is about helping save or improve other people’s lives. Donated tissues and organs will never be used for medical research unless explicit written permission is given by your family

• MYTH: If I agree to donate my organs, the hospital staff won't work as hard to save my life.
  

  FACT: When you go to the hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life — not somebody else's. You'll be seen by a doctor whose specialty most closely matches your particular emergency. The doctor in charge of your care has nothing to do with transplantation.

• MYTH: Maybe I won't really be dead when they sign my death certificate.
  

  FACT: Although it's a popular tabloid topic, in reality, people don't start to wiggle their toes after they're declared dead. In fact, people who have agreed to organ donation are given more verification tests (at no cost to their families) than are those who haven't agreed to organ donation.

• MYTH: I’m too young to register as an organ donor.
  

  FACT: if you are under the legal age, your parents sign your registration form. they can give their consent knowing that it's what you wanted. children, too, are in need of organ transplants, and they usually need organs smaller than those an adult can provide.

• MYTH: I'm too old to donate/not in the best health. Nobody would want my organs.
  

  FACT: There is no age cut off for being a donor; organs have been successfully transplanted from donors in their 70s and 80s. And very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from the donation. The decision to use an organ is based on strict medical criteria. Let the doctors decide at your time of death whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.

• MYTH: Rich and famous people go to the top of the list when they need a donor organ..
  

  FACT: The rich and famous aren't given priority when it comes to allocating organs. Celebrities generate a lot of publicity when they receive a transplant. UNOS, the organization responsible for maintaining the national organ transplant network, subjects all transplants – celebrity and other – to an internal audit to make sure the organ allocation was appropriate.

• MYTH: My family will be charged if I donate my organs.
  

  FACT: The organ donor's family is never charged for donating. The family is charged for the cost of all final efforts to save your life, and those costs are sometimes misinterpreted as costs related to organ donation. Costs for organ removal go to the transplant recipient.

• MYTH: After donating an organ or tissue, a closed casket funeral is the only option.
  

  FACT: Donor Alliance assures donor families that the donor’s body will be returned in its natural shape and form so that an open casket funeral is still an option.

• MYTH: Once I become an organ donor I can never change my mind.
  

  FACT: That is not true.You always have the option to change your mind. You can withdraw your registration.Tear up your organ donor card and let your family know that you have changed your mind.

  It is always your next of kin who will ultimately decide if you donate your organs, so make your wishes clear to them.

• MYTH: If I donate organs, I will be born without them in next birth.
  

  FACT: Organs are destroyed anyway when you are cremated. The physical body does not survive death, so the organs hold no relevance even if you believe in rebirth.

  By that logic, If you give away money in your lifetime you will not have it in the next lifetime. All religions have a strong concept of giving and helping others.