Organ Transplants: The Ultimate Gift
Organ donation though is a topic we’re often confronted with before we have to think about that kind of stuff, often as teenagers as we get our first driver’s license. We’re asked if in the event of our death, will we be willing to donate our organs? For many of New Mexicans, the answer is ‘Yes’, but the need for transplants is still far more than the number of donations in both the state and across the nation.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, as of September 2014, there were 757 New Mexico residents listed as awaiting an organ transplant. Nationwide, it was 123,472 people.
The majority of New Mexicans are waiting for the same two organs the majority of Americans were hoping to receive too: kidneys and livers, but that’s not all. Many in our state also need replacement hearts, lungs, or a pancreas – even intestines.
Anyone on the National Transplant Registry is fighting against time. If they don’t get the transplant they need, they can die. That’s why April, National Donate Life Month (NDLM), is so important.
NDLM was created by Donate Life America and its partnering organizations in 2003. The month brings opportunities for local, regional and national activities to help encourage people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. It’s also a chance to celebrate those that have saved lives through their gift of donation.
New Mexico Donor Services works tirelessly to encourage and facilitate organ, eye and tissue donation in our state. They support potential donor families in their time of loss, provide care for them through the donation process and coordinate the recovery of organs and tissues for transplant. They also provide after-care support to donor families – all while working to inspire universal acceptance of donation to ensure every person in need can benefit from the gift of life.
New Mexico Donor Services reports of those in both the state and the US needing an organ transplant, one third of them will die waiting for a transplant. Organ donation is not as common as you might think, yet the potential is there for it to be just that one day soon.
The fact is anyone is eligible to donate organs, from newborns to 90 year-olds. Transplant coordinators along with transplant surgeons evaluate each potential donor, and the viability of each organ. They do a thorough evaluation of a donor’s social and medical history as well as blood tests. Anyone is a potential donor, if only they sign up on the Donate Life New Mexico Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, or through the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) when they apply for or renew their driver’s license.
To register to be an organ donor in New Mexico, visit the Donate Life Organ & Tissue Donor Registry website. There you can register to be an organ and tissue donor. You can also choose what organs and tissues you do or do not wish to donate and choose how your donation will be used. You can even make changes or updates to your registration status.
Whatever you do when you register, just know you’re sure to make a change for the better in someone’s life. You may even save it.
Media Contact
We would be happy to provide additional information about this press release. Simply contact David Morgan at 575-528-5197 (Office) or 575-649-0754 (Mobile) with your questions.
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