Everything about World Organ Donation Day: August 13

World organ Donation day is observed on 13 August to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation and motivate people for donating organs after death. Let us read in detail about World Organ Donation Day. The day provides an opportunity to come forward and pledge to donate their organs after death which will save the lives of various people. About organ donation, there are myths and fears in people's minds due to a lack of awareness. 

About Organ Donation

Organ donation is retrieving a donor's organ like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas after the donor is deceased and then transplanting into another person who is in need of an organ. Or we can say is organ donation is the practice of retrieving a human organ from a living or deceased person, who is known as a donor, and then transplanting it into a recipient.

The recipient will be a patient who is suffering from organ failure and who will not be able to survive unless he or she receives an organ replacement. The process of recovering organs is known as Retrieval.

List of Organs that can be donated

Organs that can be donated by a person after death and while the person is still alive are as follows:

1. Kidneys: A deceased donor can donate both kidneys. The lifespan of a transplanted kidney on average is around nine years, but it may vary from individual to individual. Kidneys are the most frequently donated organs and demand for kidneys is highest. A living donor can easily donate one kidney to someone in need and one kidney functions well for the rest of their lives.

2. Liver: The function of a liver is bile production and excretion and is an important organ. Other functions of the liver are excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones and drugs, metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, enzyme activation, storage of glycogen, vitamins, and minerals, synthesis of plasma proteins, blood detoxification and purification. In the human body liver is the only organ that can grow cells and regenerate. 

a donated liver from someone who has died can further be split into two pieces and transplanted into two different people to save their lives? While a living donor can donate a portion of his or her lever to someone and the remaining portion will regenerate to almost its full previous size.

3. Heart: The heart pumps blood through the human body and is a muscular organ. When the heart is donated after being retrieved from the donor, a heart can survive for 4-6 hours only.  

4. Pancreas: From a deceased donor pancreas can be transplanted into an ailing patient. In fact, a living donor can also donate a portion of the pancreas and still retain pancreas functionality. 

5. Lungs: From deceased donors, single or double lung transplantation can be performed. And a living donor can donate a single lobe from the lungs but it will not regenerate.

6. Intestine: A donor can donate their intestine after death. It is quite rare that a living donor can donate a portion of the intestine. 

Further in addition to organs tissued can also be donated like corneas, skin, bones, ligaments, heart valves, etc.

No doubt every organ donation is a gift of life for somebody in need. As discussed above a healthy individual can donate some organs or parts of organs like a kidney or a part of their liver or lung, as well as tissues, blood, and bone marrow. However, most organs are collected from deceased donors. It is said that one deceased donor can save up to eight lives because up to 8 lifesaving organs can be donated: 1 heart, 2 lungs, 1 liver, 1 pancreas, 2 kidneys, and the intestines.

What is the theme of World organ donation Day?

Organ Donation Day is observed every year on the 13th of August. The aim of this day is to motivate normal human beings to pledge to donate organs after death and to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation.

What is organ donation Day?

August 13 World Organ Donation Day is observed on August 13, every year to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and to motivate people for donating organs after death. Donating an organ is highly valued, as it is gifting and saving the life of someone, as one organ donor can save up to eight lives.

Which day is celebrated as organ donation Day in India?

27 November The 'National Organ Donation Day is observed in India every year on 27 November, for the past 10 years. The day aims to promote awareness and recognize the selfless contribution made by deceased donors to healthcare and mankind re-instil our faith in humanity. The year 2020 marks the 11th National Organ Donation Day.

Who is the first organ donor in the world?

Ronald Lee Herrick died, aged 79, on Monday in the Augusta Rehabilitation Centre, a hospital in Maine, New England, following complications from heart surgery in October, his widow, Cynthia, said. Herrick donated a kidney to his identical twin, Richard, in a pioneering operation on 23 December 1954.

How can I donate my organs in India?

Pledging your organs is a simple procedure. Just fill out the online pledge form and we will send you a donor card with your unique government registration number. All pledges are registered with the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO).

How long does the heart stay alive after death?

Hearts can be kept alive for 24 hours after death, scientists have shown a breakthrough that could help solve the organ donation crisis. Currently, hearts must be transplanted within a critical four-hour window, after which too much damage has occurred for the organ to be useful.

What are the Types of Organ Donors?

There are two types of organ donors: Living and Deceased donors

Living donor:

A healthy person who is willing to donate an organ. Basically, living donors are over 18 years old and are subjected to several health assessments both mental and physical. This is done to determine that the person who is willing to donate an organ understands the risks and implications that donation can have on his or her life later. From country to country rules for living organ donation slightly varies.

Deceased donor:

A deceased person who has expressed his or her wish to donate their organs. Several people register to become deceased donors but only some of them are suitable. The deceased donor has to be brain dead.