Just like Community Tissue Services, donor tissue is sent to Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation in Edison, New Jersey from across the U.S. There, it is processed into needed tissue grafts that are used for tissue recipients all across America. Continue reading
Category Archives: Community Outreach
Will They Try to Save Me?
One of the biggest myths we hear from individuals who are afraid to register to be an organ and tissue donor is that if they are in a serious accident, doctors will see they are a registered donor, and will not work as hard to save them.
This simply isn’t true. Paramedics, EMTs, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals do all that they can to make sure you live. In fact, they don’t know when you arrive at the hospital whether you’re an organ donor.
We saw this video produced by Donate Life PA and thought it helped to dispel this myth.
The truth is that while you are alive and there’s any chance for you to survive, the focus of everyone around you will be to do what’s necessary to save your life. Checking to see if you are a registered donor doesn’t occur until there is zero chance for your survival.
Registering to be an organ and tissue donor is such an important decision. Don’t let fear stand in the way of your chance to help so many others with your final act. Make your final act an amazing one. Register today. The need is great.
National Donate Life Month
At least 50 lives are improved by one person’s selfless end-of-life gift of their tissue to help others. With April now upon us, we’re celebrating the 10th Annual Donate Life month. This excerpt is from the official Presidential Proclamation:
With quiet compassion and exceptional generosity, organ and tissue donors leave an indelible mark on the lives of countless Americans. Their selfless acts inspire hope at moments of profound need, and they recall the giving spirit that lies at the heart of our national character. During National Donate Life Month, we reflect on that essential quality and recommit to saving lives through organ and tissue donation.
The need to educate others about the importance of tissue donation is great–86% of the population has heard of tissue donation, but only 30% of all donation supporters know how to join the registry. This month, here are some ways you can help increase the donor registry and ultimately help the lives of many.
- Share your story with others: Explain to friends and family why you’re a tissue donor. Bring some cookies or cupcakes into work this month with blue and green icing on them. This will be a great lead in to explaining to them about tissue donation.
- Send an email or share on Facebook with your friends promoting the importance of tissue donation. (Here’s a sample of what you could copy and paste: Dear friends, April is National Donate Life month. I’m not only an organ donor but also a tissue donor. Tissue donation is very important and improves the lives of 50 or more individuals. You can see stories of hope here and learn the facts. Just signing up to be an organ donor isn’t always enough to be a tissue donor as well. Be sure to check your state’s information so that your wishes will be followed. Thank you for your support!)
- April 20 is Wear Green and Blue Day to show your support for organ and tissue donation. If you’re looking for some neat ways to express yourself that day, check out this board we found on Pinterest.
Do you have some other great ideas or way to spread the word about the importance of being a tissue donor? Please share them with us here.