With more than 100,000 people waiting for a life-saving transplant, it is crucial for families and communities to have meaningful conversations about their decision to donate. Many people do not join the donor registry, possibly due to a lack of understanding of the process. To help address this, we’ve broken down some words and phrases that may contribute to any confusion. Here are some of the most common terms you’ll see associated with organ donation and transplantation, accompanied by stories that reflect their importance and impact.
Allocation: The process of distributing organs to transplant candidates based on medical urgency, compatibility, and fairness.
Allograft: Transplantation of tissue or organs between genetically non-identical individuals of the same species, usually from a deceased or living donor to a recipient.
12-year-old Devin faced a life-altering moment when a coffee accident left him with second-degree burns on his arm. Devin underwent surgery where allograft skin from a tissue donor was applied. The donor’s gift of life played a crucial role in Devin’s remarkable healing process, with zero complications.
After a month, Devin’s own skin began regenerating, marking a significant milestone in his recovery. Cleared for water just in time for a family trip to Hawaii, Devin joyfully embraced the ocean, where he experienced scuba diving and snorkeling.
Anoxia: Severe deprivation of oxygen supply to tissues, often resulting in cellular damage or death.
Anti-rejection medicine: Medications administered to transplant recipients to prevent their immune system from attacking and rejecting the transplanted organ.
Brain death: Irreversible termination of brain function, leading to loss of all brain activity.
My daughter, Alison, passed away from a stroke at just 25 years old. In the midst of unimaginable grief, we made the decision to donate her organs.
As a donor family father, I’ve come to believe that the true gift of organ and tissue donation is not just the physical act — it’s a deep love for the other, for a neighbor we may never meet. That love sustains life, yes, but more than that, it leaves a legacy that continues to flourish. All of life is a gift — a Divine one — and these gifts are meant to be shared.” – Will W.
Cerebrovascular injury: Damage to blood vessels within the brain, often leading to stroke or hemorrhage.
Circulatory death: Occurs when a person’s heart stops definitively.
Criteria for transplant recipients: Set of medical, psychological, and ethical guidelines determining eligibility for organ transplantation.
Deceased donors: Individuals who donate organs or tissues after their death for transplantation purposes.
Shamarcus was an organ and tissue donor at 20 years old after his life was taken unexpectedly in July 2017. He lives on in the lives of five organ recipients.
‘He was very loving and caring, a generous, all-around wonderful young man,’ his mother said. ‘He’s the one who brought up the idea of being an organ donor. He was always about giving and helping. I wasn’t going to go against his wishes knowing that’s what he wanted. It’s a wonderful thing. Anytime you can give life or help someone continue life, that’s a blessing.’
Donor match: Compatibility between the donor and recipient based on factors like blood type, tissue compatibility, and immunological markers.
Donor registries: Databases where individuals register their consent for organ donation after death.
End-stage organ disease: Advanced stage of organ dysfunction where conventional treatments are no longer sufficient to keep the patient alive. This condition often requires an organ transplant.
Family discussion: Conversations among family members regarding organ donation decisions for a deceased loved one.
Informed consent: Voluntary agreement to a medical procedure or treatment after understanding its risks, benefits, and alternatives.
Kidney chain: Series of transplant surgeries where multiple recipients and living donors are linked together in a sequential manner when intended donor-recipient pairs are incompatible.
A friend’s mom needed a kidney and posted it on Facebook. I saw it and thought, ‘Oh, well, I have two kidneys, I could do that.’ So I clicked the link and filled out the application.
Then I found out I was not a match to my friend’s mom. But since I had gotten so far, I was already committed to the process. I really wanted to do this now, regardless of who my kidney goes to. So I decided to go through with it and use the voucher for my friend’s mom and then donate to a stranger.
So I went through with the surgery. Five weeks to the day after my surgery, my friend’s mom received a kidney.
After I started going through the process, a lot of my friends were like, ‘Huh, I wonder if I could donate.’ I think if more people thought about it, more people would be interested in it. I feel so good knowing that I saved somebody’s life. – Alex Z.
Living organ donation: Voluntary donation of organs or tissues by a living individual to another person in need (such as a kidney).
National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA): Legislation enacted in the United States in 1984 to regulate organ transplantation, including the establishment of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).
Non-directed donor: A living donor who donates an organ without specifying the recipient. This is often called an “altruistic” donation.
Trauma to the brain: Physical injury or damage to the brain caused by external force or impact.
Organ preservation: Techniques used to maintain the viability and function of organs outside of the body between recovery and transplantation.
Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN): Established by an act of Congress, this network maintains the national computer registry for matching donated organs to patients on the waiting list. The OPTN acts through its Board of Directors and committees, and is managed through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Organ Procurement Organization (OPO): Agencies responsible for coordinating organ donation and transplantation within specific geographic regions.
Prior to starting at Mid-America Transplant, I worked with abdominal transplant recipients in a Transplant ICU and saw the impact of donation firsthand. Working at Mid-America gives me the opportunity to support the donor side of the transplant process. I am grateful every day for the opportunity to help create a legacy for our donors and their families, as well as be a small part of a recipient’s next chapter. – Elyssa G.
Organ recovery: Surgical procedure to retrieve organs from deceased donors for transplantation purposes.
Registered organ donor: Individual who has consented to donate their organs or tissues after death, as documented in the official registry.
Skin graft: Surgical procedure where skin from one area of the body is transplanted to another.
Transplant candidate: An individual diagnosed with end-stage organ disease who is deemed suitable for organ transplantation.
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): UNOS is an organization that oversees the allocation and distribution of organs for transplantation in the United States.
Waiting list: List of individuals awaiting organ transplantation, prioritized based on medical urgency, time spent waiting, blood type, and other important medical information. Income or celebrity status have no impact on how organs are allocated.
Xenograft: Transplantation of tissue or organs from one species to another, such as from animals to humans.
We hope this information will help you make informed decisions when it comes to organ, eye, and tissue donation. By registering as an organ or tissue donor, you can bring hope to patients and families who are holding out for a miracle.
