All of us are bound to go through an existential crisis from time to time. “What is the meaning of life?” “What is my destiny?” “Will I ever get to meet Beyoncé?” Sure, the depth of these questions fade away after a few minutes of getting distracted by cute cat videos on Instagram, but what if there is an actual way for you, or parts of you to live on even after your death. No, this is not a creepy article that gives directions on how to freeze your body so you can wake up in the year 2450. We have a more practical solution — organ donation.
Debunking Myths
Most people perceive the idea of donating their organs with a mixture of fear and awe. “Will it kill me?” is one of the most popularly asked questions, which shouldn’t, in the first place, be an actual concern because most organ donations occur once you’re dead. Donating a kidney or a part of your lung or liver are the only donations that you can make when you’re alive. And that can be done effortlessly with a well-planned surgery.
The decision to become an organ donor is often met with a lot of misinterpreted facts and myths. For instance, there is no age limit when it comes to being an organ donor. If your organs are healthy and kicking even in your 80’s, you can still be one.
Also, the decision to become an organ donor is not an unbreakable promise. If you start having second thoughts or change your mind, you can always withdraw your registration and inform your family about your decision. Because, ultimately, it is your next of kin who decide whether you donate your organs or not, so remember to make it clear to them.
Pledging to donate your organs after your death may seem like a piece of cake, but there are many formalities and cases to be considered when it actually comes down to being able to donate your organs. For instance, in India, organ donation is only possible in the case of brain stem death. Being brain stem dead involves the loss of consciousness, absence of brain stem reflexes and irreversible loss of the capacity to breathe. While this criterion does vary in other countries, in India, this is the case.
Nothing excludes you from becoming an organ donor unless it’s actively spreading cancer. The state of your organs at the time of your death determines which all organs can be donated. A very popular myth on organ donation is how doctors will not try hard enough to save a patient if he/she is an organ donor.
Here are the facts. First of all, when a patient is declared brain dead, the doctors will naturally be more preoccupied with saving your life and not someone else’s. Second of all, the very option of donating your organs comes up only after the patient is medically declared dead. Thirdly, the doctor who is in charge of the patient’s care will not have anything to do with the organ transplantation.
Donate & Give Life
The biggest obstacle that stands in the way of potential organ donors is the lack of awareness. The number of brain deaths that occur in India every year is close to a million, which is supposed to add more numbers in organ donation. Unfortunately, this is not the case as the organ donation rate in India still remains at an all-time low.
When you contrast that with the demand for organs, the entire differentiation looks depressing. The need for organs annually rise to an approximate amount of 5 lakhs, out of which only 2–3 percent of the demand is met. So many people, as a result, die while waiting for a potential donor to become available.
To motivate people to be a part of this noble venture, August 13th of every year is observed as organ donation day. The fact that millions of people die every year because of organ unavailability is not something that should be taken lightly. Scientifically speaking, by donating an organ, you lose something for someone else’s gain. But looking at the big picture, it is honestly a win-win situation for both the parties. The organ recipient gets a second chance in life and you get to live on forever.
Organ donation doesn’t just save, but gives life. It gives hope to someone who has lost all hope in living a normal life like yours. To help someone’s future, which till that point seemed lost, becomes an actual reality all because you decided to register yourself as an organ donor. This is the most beautiful gift you can give. Be aware of all the formalities and procedures involved and inform others about it. By donating your organs that has kept you alive and healthy for so long, you’re basically living on forever.
