The act of saving lives has reached a remarkable goal. With the process of organ donations, life can still go on for the unfortunate people with malfunctioning organs. Every one should be an organ donor because each day approximately sixty people out of one hundred receive an organ transplant, but another seventeen people on the waiting list die. A single organ and tissue donor could save or enhance the lives of more than fifty people. Organ donation is the surgical removal of organs and or tissue from a donor after he is declared brain dead. The organ or tissues are transplanted into another living person. To be considered brain dead, the patient is put through a series of tests to determine if death has occurred. Death is indicated when a person can not breathe without assistance. There is no blood flow or oxygen to the brain, or there is no brain function. After confirmation that the deceased person is declared a donor, blood supplies are taken for the matching process. Once a recipient is located, the organs are removed by the organ procurement team. The organs are never removed unless a recipient is located, which is very rare. The recipient list is very long, and there are not enough organs available.
Federal law requires that all families of brain dead patients are offered the option of organ and tissue donation. No one is refused the opportunity to donate. Everyone has an organ or tissue that a recipient somewhere can use. Once the possible donor is declared brain dead Arora (National organ and tissue donor service) has to be notified. The hospital staff doctor or nurse will ask the family at the time of death if the deceased is an organ donor. Arora will contact the family after they have had time to grieve their loved ones passing for confirmation on organ and tissue donation. It is very important to discuss and educate each person's family members on the act of organ donation.