Become an Organ Donor!
Brooke was born with a rare liver disease that resulted in a liver transplant on October 9, 2008! We were very fortunate that Jessica was a match and was able to give part of her liver and save Brooke's life! There are so many people out there waiting for organs and are less fortunate. We really need to sign up and become organ donors! I found a cute saying that stated...Don't take your organs to heaven - heaven knows we need them here!
April is ORGAN DONOR AWARENESS MONTH! My goal is to get as many as possible to sign up to be an organ donor! I will attach links where you can sign up online. I will also attach a link where you can print out a card and sign and have witnessed to carry with you! I could not imangine losing my baby girl especially to the fact that an organ never came available to save her! I have met so many wonderful people through my support groups that need translpants....they are either waiting, received a cadaver liver, or a living related organ. Then there are the ones who have gone to Heaven because they were not as fortunate as others. All to the fact that an organ did not come available because people are not becoming organ donors!
Brooke's friends needing/needed transplants! These all have touching stories! You can go to links and pull up there websites to read and get updates on how they are doing! Xander's mom, Blair did such a beautiful job on his picture and info, I asked if she would do Brooke's also....Thank you Blair! These families are amazing and I have been in contact and continue to stay in contact with them! We are trying to meet with some of them...as they are right here in our "backyard"! When I do I will definetly post pictures! I can't wait....come on Brooke get over your cold and diarrhea! I have had so much support and information from these families it has been great! You guys all know I have a wonderful support system at home with family and friends. However, it is nothing like talking and going to someone who truly knows and been there and going through the exact same thing as you are to be there, lend an ear and truly knows and can relate! To each and everyone of you, I am truly greatful and honored to have met you! My life is forever blessed!
You can read and follow Xander's story at http://www.colbykids.blogspot.com/
Sydney has not yet received a transplant to date. You can read and follow her story at http://scmossfamily.blogspot.com
Emerson has received a transplant but will be needing another. You can read and follow her story at http://www.cotaforemersonw.com/
Sophie Grace has not received her transplant to date. You can read and follow her story at www.sophiegrace.org
Faith received her transplant on August 7, 2008 at Georgetown University just like Brooke. You can read and follow her story at http://www.freewebs.com/mschasse56
Kai received her transplant on April 9, 2008, also, at Georgetown Univeristy. You can read and follow her story at http://www.ourbabykai.org
Allison received her transplant on February 28, 2007. Also, at Georgetown Univeristy. Allison's story shares where one cadaver liver split, saved her life but also saved another person's life, Maggie Catherwood! Her story can be read and followed at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/allisonbrown
Some statistic....
- 78 Americans receive a life-saving organ transplant, thanks to ordinary people who took a dew minutes out from their busy lives to declare their intention to become donors!
- But more than 100,000 people are still waiting for an organ donor!
- More than 100 people doe every week while on the national transplant list waiting for an organ!
- As of 3-25-2009, 101,257 are waiting for organ donation.
- 27,958 received transplants from January 2008 to December 2008.
- 14,199 were donors during the same time frame!
Myths about organ donation...
| Myth No. 1. If I agree to donate my organs, my doctor or the emergency room staff won't work as hard to save my life. They'll remove my organs as soon as possible to save somebody else. |
| Reality. 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 No. 2. Maybe I won't really be dead when they sign my death certificate. It'll be too late for me if they've taken my organs for transplantation. I might have otherwise recovered. |
| Reality. Although it's a popular topic in the tabloids, in reality, people don't start to wiggle a toe after they're declared dead. In fact, people who have agreed to organ donation are given more tests to determine that they are truly dead than are those who haven't agreed to organ donation. |
| Myth No. 3. Organ donation is against my religion. |
| Reality. Organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most religions. This includes Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam and most branches of Judaism. If you're unsure of or uncomfortable with your faith's position on donation, ask a member of your clergy. Another option is to check the federal Web site OrganDonor.gov, which provides religious views on organ donation and transplantation by denomination. |
| Myth No. 4. I'm under age 18. I'm too young to make this decision. |
| Reality. That's true, in a legal sense. But your parents can authorize this decision. You can express to your parents your wish to donate, and your parents 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 No. 5. I want my loved one to have an open-casket funeral. That can't happen if his or her organs or tissues have been donated. |
| Reality. Organ and tissue donation doesn't interfere with having an open-casket funeral. The donor's body is clothed for burial, so there are no visible signs of organ or tissue donation. For eye donation, an artificial eye is inserted, the lids are closed, and no one can tell any difference. For bone donation, a rod is inserted where bone is removed. With skin donation, a very thin layer of skin similar to a sunburn peel is taken from the donor's back. Because the donor is clothed and lying on his or her back in the casket, no one can see any difference. |
| Myth No. 6. I'm too old to donate. Nobody would want my organs. |
| Reality. There's no defined cutoff age for donating organs. Organs have been successfully transplanted from donors in their 70s and 80s. The decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Let the doctors decide at your time of death whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation. |
| Myth No. 7. I'm not in the greatest health, and my eyesight is poor. Nobody would want my organs or tissues. |
| Reality. Very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from donating organs. The decision to use an organ is based on strict medical criteria. It may turn out that certain organs are not suitable for transplantation, but other organs and tissues may be fine. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Only medical professionals at the time of your death can determine whether your organs are suitable for transplantation. |
| Myth No. 8. I would like to donate one of my kidneys now, rather than wait until my death. But I hear you can't do that unless you're a close family member of someone in need. |
Reality. While that used to be the case, it isn't any longer. Whether it's a distant family member, friend or complete stranger you want to help, you can donate a kidney through certain transplant centers. If you decide to become a living donor, you will undergo extensive questioning to ensure that you are aware of the risks and make sure you're giving away your kidney out of pure goodwill and not in return for financial gain. You will also undergo testing to determine that your kidneys are in good shape and that you can live a healthy life with just one kidney. You can also donate blood or bone marrow during your lifetime. Contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross for details on where you can donate or sign up. |
| Myth No. 9. Rich, famous and powerful people always seem to move to the front of the line when they need a donor organ. There's no way to ensure that my organs will go to those who've waited the longest or are the neediest. |
| Reality. The rich and famous aren't given priority when it comes to allocating organs. It may seem that way because of the amount of publicity generated when celebrities receive a transplant, but they are treated no differently from anyone else. In fact, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the organization responsible for maintaining the national organ transplant network, subjects all celebrity transplants to an internal audit to make sure the organ allocation was appropriate. |
| Myth No. 10. My family will be charged if I donate my organs. |
Reality. 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. Links... Be an organ donor.... http://www.organdonor.gov/ Virginia donors sign up here... http://www.save7lives.org/main.php Printable donor card... http://organdonor.gov/donor/index.htm
I would love for you to become an organ donor! If you have not done so, please sign up today in Brooke's honor! If you are under the age of 18 and would life to be an organ donor please inform your parents of your wishes. Heaven forbid we are faced with a difficult decision like this but how much better it would be to know your child wanted this and a part of them live on and saved another life! If you read this and decide to become an organ donor, please post on Brooke's site! Would love to see how many people are signing up and would love to keep a total and see what the total is at the end of the month! |
