The Reno Aces show their support for organ donation. Courtesy photo

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – With last month being Donate Life Month, it’s a good time to clear up some misconceptions that hold many residents back from being organ donors.

Lori Singh, a donation program consultant for Donor Network West, met with the Gridley Herald to provide clear-cut guidance for organ donation.

Singh has worked in organ and tissue donation for 22 years. Donor Network West has 175 hospitals in Northern and central California, as well as northern Nevada. Singh works with hospitals in Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Plumas and Lake counties. Since Enloe Hospital has a large trauma center, Singh spends most of her time there.

“I’m there to help ensure that their program is successful and that the process goes smoothly. There are a lot of regulations surrounding donation through the federal government, so hospitals want to be in compliance with that,” Singh said. “I provide annual education for their staff, so the staff is up-to-date and aware of the process.”

Singh also manages any problems that arise, as well as follow up with the hospital staff involved in the procedure.

“One of the most meaningful things for them is knowing they put in all this effort and work and supporting this grieving family and there is sadness involved when there is a donation because they are losing a loved one but the other end of the spectrum is there’s a family and a patient at another hospital transplant center that are receiving the most miraculous call they could ever get, that they are going to get that organ that they need to sustain their life. That’s one of my favorite parts of this job is sharing the good news of the sad story: the heart that was recovered last week went to a 35-year-old mother of two in San Francisco or both kidneys were transplanted successfully.”

Myth one: If I sign up to be a donor, the hospital (or paramedic) will see that on my license and they won’t try to save my life. They’ll just want to take my organs.

Fact: Donor Network West and other organ procurement agencies are not affiliated with the hospitals. The organ donation representatives are only called in after all life-saving measures have been exhausted, Singh said.

Myth two: Organ donation is against my religion.

Fact: “That is not true,” Singh said. “Most major religions accept and support organ donation, including Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, most branches of Judaism, and most Protestant faiths. Some religions believe organ donation is an act of charity. The most important thing is if you don’t know where your religion stands, ask a member of your clergy.”

Myth three: People who donate organs or tissues cannot have an open casket funeral or they can’t have a viewing.

Fact: “Donor’s bodies are treated with care and respect. The surgeries to remove organs are performed like other surgical procedures. Incisions are not visible once the body is dressed for burial,” said Singh.

Myth four: Wealthy people can skip the wait list and get their transplant faster.

Fact: “Rich and famous individuals cannot and do not get priority on the wait list,” Singh said. “It really come s down to factors such as your blood type, your body size, location of where the donor is versus where the recipient is, severity of the illness and the length of time a recipient is on the wait list.”

Currently, more than 100,000 people are on the organ wait list.

Myth five: I’m too old to donate or I’m not in the best of health so nobody would want my organs.

Fact: “Maybe one organ is not healthy, but if even one other organ is healthy, we would proceed with that donation,” Singh said. “There’s no standard cut-off age. Very few medical conditions keep you from donating. Don’t rule yourself out now. Let the donor team figure that out when the time comes.”

Myth six: My family will be charged additional cost if I decide to donate my organs.

Fact: The organ donor’s family does not pay for the procedure. “Once they have exhausted all efforts to save your life, and that is no longer an option, all those additional costs are paid for, so there’s no cost to the family,” Singh said. “The recipient’s insurance pays for those costs.”

Myth seven: My family can overturn my decision to be an organ donor.

Fact: You are designating your end-of-life decisions when you sign up through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or on the website, as a “First Person Authorization.” This is a legally binding document. The family does not have that decision to make. If you sign up to be a donor, it’s important to let your family know, so they aren’t surprised when it happens.

Many individuals sign up for organ donation when they get their driver’s license, indicated by a little pink dot on a donor’s license. Another way is through an Advanced Care Directive or on the website at donatelifecalifornia.org or the Spanish version at donatevidacalifornia.org.

Those who have questions or want to volunteer with Donor Network West can go to donornetworkwest.org.

“One organ donor can save up to eight lives. Tissue donors can save an additional 75 people. There are never enough organs for those that need them,” Singh said. “Twenty-two people die every day because they didn’t get the organ they needed in time. There are so many people in need and so many people that could have an extended life if more people said yes to donation.”