gan. Only a fraction of those will live long enough to receive that organ. Many people are not aware of what it actually means to be an organ donor. An organ donor is someone who has previously consented to donate his or her organs after death. Organ donations are usually taken from victims of motor vehicle accidents, gun shot wounds, strokes or major head injury. Organs that can be donated are heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas and intestines, also tissues such as skin, bone, and ligaments can be donated. According to the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE), between 10,000 and 12,000 people die annually who are considered medically suitable for organ donations, yet, only an estimated 5,200 donate(www.core.org 11 Nov 99). One of the most common reasons for objecting to organ donation is a belief that doctors will not try to save ones life if they are aware he or she is an organ donor. The only way to completely convince someone that this would never happen is to explain the whole process of organ donation.First, and most important, if a person is dead, he or she can not be an organ donor. If someone dies outside the hospital setting or in the emergency room of a cardiac death, he would be able to donate tissues and corneas, not organs(www.core.org 11 Nov 99). Organ donations are taken from people who have been pronounced brain dead. Extensive tests are done on the donor to determine that the brain has stopped working. Lifesaving measures are taking place continuously throughout. When brain death occurs, blood is no longer flowing to the brain. The brain has ceased functioning. The victim can not breathe on his own. When a person suffers from a brain injury, the brain swells and creates pressure. Sometimes this pressure is so great it prevents blood flow to the brain, the result being brain death. After brain death is determined the potential donor is sent to intensive care. Doctors notify the family of th...
