How to Become Organ Donor?

Good evening everyone. Today, I am going to talk about how to be an organ donor. I think you will find it really interesting to know that live or dead person can donate their biological tissue or an organ to living person in need of transplantation.

Let me give you a quick overview of my presentation. First, I will describe about donation basics and donation process. Then, I will explain about the eligibility for organ donor and recipient. Finally, I will say what to do to become a donor in Saskatchewan. So, let's begin. I will try to answer your questions at the end of my presentation.

To become an organ donor, the first thing you need to register with your provincial organ donor registry. This will guarantee that your wish will be fulfilled after death. Secondly, inform your family about your decision. It is very important to have your spouse or family member know about your wish. Even if you sign up a donor card saying that you want to be an organ donor, hospitals are still not allowed to do organ removal procedures on your body until they receive consent from your spouse or your closer family members. Then, hospital staffs will take your body to an operating room and start removing the organs which are suitable for donation. Generally, they will remove heart, lungs, liver kidney, pancreas, and intestines. Afterwards, blood from these organs will be flushed out and put organs in organ preservative solution for few hours before transplantation. People of any age, sex, race, or medical history can be a donor except for people with HIV positive, active cancer or systemic infections. Moreover, living person can donate stem cells, blood, platelets or some organs of body; a kidney or a portion of the liver, lung or intestine, eye and tissues. New born baby can also donate umbilical cord which has high volume of blood stem cells. Let's talk about the recipients now, the recipients of organs are based on certain factor; medical condition,