Since its inception in 1987, The Sharing Network, a non-profit, federally certified, state-approved organ procurement organization, has more than tripled the total number of organs recovered from deceased individuals. Its success may be attributed to its strong community outreach and communication tools.
Nationwide, thousands of lives are saved each year by organ donations. Nevertheless, an urgent shortage still exists. In the United States, more than 77,000 patients are on a waiting list for organ transplants; 2,100 of them are from New Jersey. Chronic renal disease accounts for the majority of those on the waiting list. To stay alive, patients must either rely on dialysis or undergo transplantation. Last year, of the 514 transplants performed in New Jersey, 388 were kidney transplants.
According to Oscar Colon, Transplant Coordinator with The Sharing Network, New Jersey Organ and Tissue Donation Services, the most difficult part of his job is talking to families about organ donation after the tragic moment when a family member has been declared brain dead. “It’s a very sensitive situation,” he explains. “But it’s rewarding to know that I am part of the link that will give another person a second chance at life.”
Although a recent Gallup survey showed a majority of Americans are now more receptive to organ donation, only 20 percent of the annual 20,000 to 25,000 brain deaths in this country result in donations. Many people who would like to donate organs fail to tell their families. Others feel it is against their religion, unaware that most religions support organ donation. Another fear is that once admitted to a hospital, if staff is aware a donor card has been signed, treatment will not be aggressive. In reality, the transplant/recovery team is called in only after death has occurred. One individual who donates after death can provide organs, bone and tissue for 80 or more people in need.
To fill the gap caused by an inadequate supply of kidneys donated by deceased individuals, donation by living individuals –a close relative or friend – has provided urgently needed kidneys across New Jersey and the country. Helped by advances in anti-rejection drugs and less invasive surgery, living donations of kidneys and partial livers have been on the rise. In 2000, the number of living donors jumped 16 percent, while donations from deceased individuals increased by just 2.7 percent. Living donors now account for almost half of all organ donors.
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