A month of health and life celebrated this Organ Donor Month

August is Organ Donor Awareness Month, and Transplant Education for Living Legacies (TELL) is dedicated to raising awareness about the critical importance of organ donation.

Every year, according to Organ Donor Statistics from the website organdonor.gov, thousands of lives are saved thanks to the generosity of donors. However, the need for organ transplants far exceeds the availability, leaving many on waiting lists in a race against time. TELL uses social media to educate healthcare professionals, the public as well as patients on various aspects of organ and tissue donation and transplants.

“One of the most popular posts is our #TransplantTuesday feature which gives recipients and living donors the opportunity to share their story and show the impact a transplant made in their lives,” TELL managing director, Stella de Kock, expresses.

According to the government’s health division, there are currently over 2 500 people on the tissue and organ donation waiting list, and some of them end up losing their lives waiting for organs. This is a sign that the demand for organ transplants continues to rise in the country.

“There are two types of donors, a living donor, and a deceased donor. A living donor can only donate a kidney or part of a liver and has to be in excellent health, whereas the deceased donor’s suitability will be assessed at the time of death to determine which organs and tissue can be donated,” Stella says.

“You can donate a kidney or part of the liver to a patient on the waiting list, this may be someone you know or a stranger. Donating to a stranger is called an altruistic donation. Donating to someone you know either a family member or friend is known as a related or non-related donation. A living donor needs to be in excellent health to withstand the operation and also to lead a normal life after donation.

“To be listed for a transplant, the recipient goes through a variety of tests and is assessed on an ongoing basis by their specialist. Only once the recipient has been cleared to be listed for a transplant, will the assessment of the living donor start. The work-up process for the donor is done in phases and can be stopped at any time if the donor changes his or her mind or if it comes to light that the donor has a medical condition that will prevent a transplant,” Stella elaborates.

During Organ Donor Awareness Month, TELL encourages individuals to learn more about living donation and consider becoming a donor.

“By stepping forward, you can give someone a second chance at life,” she adds.

For more information about organ and tissue donation, visit TELL’s social media pages @tellorgza, website at www.tell.org.za or e-mail info@tell.org.za.