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ARCHBOLD.ORG
•
SPRING 2017
21
Give the
greatest gift
BE AN ORGAN DONOR
IF YOU COULD
save a life, would
you? Or better yet, several lives?
That’s something you can easily do by
signing up to become an organ donor.
Your generosity, in fact, could save as
many as eight lives. It might also help
many others who need donated tissue
to recover from burns and other injuries
or to regain lost vision or hearing.
A widespread need
Your generosity is sorely needed. On
any given day in this country, about
80 people receive organ transplants. But
another 22 people die waiting for trans-
plants that can’t take place because of a
shortage of donated organs.
Right now, there are more than
100,000 people on waiting lists for a
kidney, heart, liver, lung or other organ.
Others need tissue—including skin,
veins and heart valves.
Don’t rule yourself out
There are very few absolute restrictions
on who can be an organ donor. Age
doesn’t matter, though donors younger
than 18 need a parent’s consent.
Some medical conditions might
eliminate you as a donor, such as HIV or
an actively spreading brain cancer. But
most people are potential donors. And
doctors will evaluate your suitability—
and the condition of your organs—if the
occasion arises.
Sign up
One way to become an organ donor is to
go t
o organdonor.gov and click on “Sign
Up to Be a Donor.” But to cover all bases:
•
Designate your decision on your driv-
er’s license, if possible.
•
Tell your doctor, family and friends
about your decision.
•
Include organ donation in your will
and advance directives.
Archbold
gets
organ
-ized
Every 11 minutes one person is added to
the national organ transplant waiting list,
a list with currently over 123,000 names.
But sadly, approximately 22 people a day
die in the United States waiting for an
organ transplant. That’s why Archbold
Memorial Hospital recently joined forces
with hospitals nationwide to encourage
citizens to enroll in state organ donor
registries.
Archbold participated in the
Workplace Partnership for Life (WPFL)
National Hospital Campaign sponsored by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services’ Health Resources and Services
Administration. The campaign resulted in
400,000 donor enrollments to state regis-
tries nationwide from 2011 to 2016.
It’s all about knowledge
Archbold conducted awareness and
registration campaigns to educate
staff, patients, visitors and community
members about the critical need for
organ, eye and tissue donors. Archbold
was recognized among a select group
of hospitals nationwide for its efforts
to increase organ donor registration
in Georgia. The hospital earned a gold
designation for its efforts, which resulted
in an estimated 50 new organ donors
registered in Georgia.
Leading the field
“Archbold is a great champion for organ,
eye and tissue donation,” said Robin
Godwin, Director of Nursing for Critical
Care and Respiratory Services at Archbold.
“Our staff is proud of this accomplishment
that will make a difference in the lives of
more than 5,600 Georgians that are cur-
rently waiting for an organ transplant.”