http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/organdonat_1578.mp3
For some people, it's an uncomfortable thing to think about: what do you want to happen to your body after you die? But this month is Donate for Life Month and organ donation advocates are asking you to think about giving the gift of life. KSMU's Megan Keathley reports.
According to a new report from the state's Organ Donation Advisory Committee, the number of donors on the state registry has increased to over 2.3 million people since 2006. But with nearly 100,000 patients awaiting transplants and 300 candidates being added to the list each month, there will always be the need for more donors.
Breita Church is the Springfield donations supervisor with Mid-America Transplant Services. She says there are three steps you need to take if you or someone you know wishes to become and organ donor upon their death.
Very few donors will actually be able to give upon their death, depending on the condition of the body once the person dies. Church emphasizes that the more people who register and express their wishes to their families, the greater the chance of a patient's life being saved.
Church says Mid-America Transplant organizes the process when a donor organ becomes available. Mid-America works with teams of surgeons and supervisors to make sure that the injured party can make a suitable donation, and that the organ is removed from the donor, transported, and transferred to the recipient safely and efficiently. Church says that one of the most important aspects of her job is the interaction with the donor family.
If you would like to add your name to the Missouri Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, see the link at our website, KSMU.org. This is Megan Keathley for KSMU News.
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