We have all already wondered whether we would be able to donate an organ to a loved one if they needed it. Here are 5 things to know about the donation to see it a little more clearly...
Absolutely anyone can be a donor as long as they do not have any communicable diseases. Up to 65 years old for the heart, 70 years old for the lungs, 85 years old for the kidneys and up to 90 years old and over for the corneas. Only medical history research and the performance of serological tests will authorize a donation.
The law of the deceased takes precedence. By telling our loved ones our wishes, they will be able to say whether we want to be a donor or not. Most often the deceased person agreed but the family opposes it (about 2/3 of relatives). The easiest way is still to have your “donor card” on you.
Everyone knows that it is possible to help a loved one in difficulty, but it is also possible to help someone on the waiting list. Thus, we can donate a kidney (60% of transplants in 2011), bone marrow or even the epidermis (to allow skin grafts for severe burns). However, the process is quite long:you must have undergone several compatibility tests, expressed your consent before a magistrate and received the approval of the living donor committee.
According to the law, all adults are considered to be in favor of organ donation after their death, unless the latter had opposed it during their lifetime. Doctors are instructed to check whether the name of the deceased is on the National Refusal Register managed by the Biomedicine Agency. If it is not there, then doctors have an obligation to seek the opinion of relatives. This is why it is important to talk about it around you.
Of this figure, only 5,746 of them had a transplant according to the Biomedicine Agency. Withdrawal is possible under certain well-defined conditions. Most often, organs are harvested from people who died in hospital after a head injury, stroke, or cardiac arrest (according to the Life Transplant Foundation). The problem is that it affects less than 1% of people who die in hospital. It is therefore urgent to change our vision of the gift to try to keep sick people alive who can be our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors or our friends.
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