The MVC Effect
The organ donation process
and where MVC employees
come in.
Thanks MVC
Stories of how MVC employees
are making a difference in the
lives of others.
A Lifesaving Partnership
Updated
March 15, 2011
Inside:
Organ and Tissue Donation
You
Make the Difference
Get the Facts
Organ and tissue donation
explained. Myths and
misconceptions debunked.
Donate Life New Jersey is proud to partner with the State of New
Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to save lives through organ and
tissue donation. Each time MVC employees ask their customers to
register as a donor, they are giving hope to someone on the
transplant waiting list.
Inside this packet you will find information and tools that will help
you best do your job and save lives in the process!
The
MVC
Effect
Each time you ask, you save lives!
1.
Most importantly, verbally ask
every
customer to register as organ and tissue
donors regardless of whether they
checked it on the form. Many people fill
the form out in a rush or change their
mind later after reading our brochures.
2.
Display Donate Life NJ information such
as brochures (English and Spanish) and
posters.
3.
Customers who seek a duplicate license
or ID can still register as a donor even if
they were previously not designated.
Simply process the transaction as a
change.
4.
Use multilingual cue cards to
communicate the donor designation
question to non‐English speaking
customers.
More than 97% of people who
register to become organ and tissue
donors do so when they receive
their photo license or ID.
This is why
Donate Life New Jersey and the
Motor Vehicle Commission have
established a partnership.
As MVC staff, you work on the front
lines of organ and tissue donation.
By simply doing your job you are
saving countless lives!
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Flemington
44.79%
Medford
43.33%
Newton
41.34%
Runnemede
40.13%
Rio Grande
40.07%
West Deptford
38.45%
Randolph
37.23%
Turnersville
36.95%
Washington
36.59%
Cardiff
36.43%
Somerville
36.30%
Cherry Hill
36.27%
Oakland
35.42%
Hazlet
34.93%
Mount Holly
34.06%
Springfield
33.99%
Freehold
33.78%
Manahawkin
33.75%
Eatontown Regional
32.01%
Bakers Basin
31.97%
Salem
31.89%
Lakewood
31.82%
East Brunswick
31.27%
Toms River
31.03%
Camden
29.49%
Vineland
28.65%
Jersey City
27.67%
Wayne
27.06%
Wallington
26.07%
South Plainfield
25.94%
Edison
25.18%
North Bergen
24.91%
Trenton
24.34%
Lodi
24.20%
Rahway
23.61%
Bayonne
20.97%
East Orange
20.49%
Paterson
19.16%
Newark
18.69%
Totals
30.75%
Agency
Rankings
Data from February 2011
Waiting list candidates as of 3/14/2011 All 110,556 Kidney 88,051 Pancreas 1,385 Kidney/Pancreas 2,241 Liver 16,126 Intestine 260 Heart 3,179 Lung 1,763 Heart/Lung 67 *All candidates will be less than the sum due to candidates waiting for multiple organs Transplants performed Jan – Dec 2010* Total 28,664 Deceased Donor 22,105 Living Donor 6,559 Donors recovered Jan ‐ Dec 2010* Total 14,503 Deceased Donor 7,944 Living Donor 6,559 *Based on OPTN data as of 03/04/2011
Statistics
Update
Doug, kidney and pancreas
recipient, Bayonne
“Thank you for all the hard work you
do to promote organ and tissue
donation.
I know first hand how
getting the word out really works. I am
living proof of that.”
Co-Worker
Connections
Many MVC employees have
been touched by organ and
tissue donation.
These New Jersey residents are alive
today because you asked.
Beau, Runnemede
Received a cornea
transplant.
Maria, Salem
Her husband saved
lives as an organ
donor. (Pictured with
the recipient of his
liver).
Thanks MVC.
Sandra, kidney and pancreas recipient,
Laurel Springs
"Your efforts have made a paramount
difference in the number of people
willing to donate. Because of my
transplant, I was able to witness my
daughter graduate from high school
and attend college. Please keep up all of
the hard work you do. It is greatly
appreciated!"
Mike, kidney recipient, Hamilton
“Watching what organ and tissue
donation accomplishes is truly watching
a miracle. It’s a second chance at life
and an opportunity to make all the
difference in the world. There is no
greater gift anyone can give.” –Mike’s
mom
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Non leo:
Fast Facts
One donor can:
•
Donate
kidneys to free two people from
dialysis treatments
needed to sustain life.
•
Save the lives
of patients awaiting heart, liver,
lung or pancreas transplants.
•
Give sight to two people
through the donation
of corneas.
•
Donate bone to repair injured joints or to help
save a limb threatened by cancer
.
•
Help burn victims heal
more quickly through
donation of skin
•
Provide
healthy heart valves
for someone with
malfunctioning valves.
Sign up online!
New Jersey residents no
longer have to wait until
their license or ID is up for
renewal to register as an
organ and tissue donor.
By visiting
www.donatelifenj.org
customers can register
online anytime.
Registering online has the
same effect as registering at
the MVC. The donor
designation attaches itself to
a person’s driving record.
The donor designation will
expire when a person’s
license or ID expires and the
decision to donate must be
renewed when they receive
their new license or ID.
•
Registering as a donor is legal consent for organ and
tissue donation after death and can not be revoked
by anyone but yourself.
•
One person
can save or enhance the lives of
over 50
people
.
•
Every day
in the United States, an average of
18
people die waiting
for organ transplants.
•
During the past 10 years, the national transplant
waiting list has more than doubled with more than
111,000 people now waiting
for organ transplants.
•
More than
4,500 people
are waiting for transplants
in New Jersey alone
•
Tens of thousands
of others need corneas to
restore sight, bone and other tissues to repair
injured or diseased bones and joints, skin to heal
burns, and the heart valves to replace diseased
ones.
•
1 person is added
to the waiting list
every 11
minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can become a donor? All individuals can indicate their consent to donate (persons under 18 years of age must have parent's or guardian's consent). Medical suitability for donation is determined at the time of death. How do I express my wishes to become an organ and tissue donor? Indicate your decision to be an organ and tissue donor on your driver’s license or state ID or sign up online at www.donatelifenj.org. If I put the organ donor designation on my driver’s license, will my wishes be carried out? New Jersey honors “first person consent,” meaning that if you qualified to be a donor upon your passing, your wishes will be honored first and foremost and cannot be revoked by any third party. However it is always good to let your family know that donation is important to you. Is there an age limit? Do my medical conditions prevent me from donating? No. Don’t rule yourself out. Anyone can sign up to be a donor regardless of medical condition. After death, doctors will evaluate all potential donors for eligibility. There are no age limits. What can be donated? Organs: heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver, and intestines. Tissue: corneas, skin, heart valves, bone, and connective tissue Are there any costs to my family for donation? The donor’s family does not pay for the cost of organ and tissue donation. Can I sell my organs? No. The National Organ Transplant Act (Public Law 98‐507) makes it illegal to sell human organs and tissues in the United States. Violators are subject to fines and imprisonment. Among the reasons for this rule is the concern of Congress that buying and selling of organs might lead to inequitable access to donor organs with the wealthy having an unfair advantage. How are organs distributed? Patients are matched to organs based on a number of factors including blood and tissue typing, medical urgency, time on the waiting list, and geographical location. Can I be an organ and tissue donor and also donate my body to medical science? Total body donation and organ/tissue donation are different processes handled by separate organizations. A driver’s license/ID consent is only for organ and tissue donation. If you wish to donate your entire body, you should directly contact the facility of your choice to make arrangements. Is the MVC registry associated with living donation? No. The MVC registry is for deceased donation only. If you would like more information about Living Donation, please call Diane James, Living Donation Manager at Gift of Life, at (800) DONORS‐1. How does the process work? Hospitals by law have to notify Organ Procurement Organizations (OPO) of any death or imminent death. If the decedent is eligible for organ or tissue donation, the donor registry is checked to see if the person had designated their wishes. OPO representatives will meetwith the family at the hospital to discuss their loved ones wishes, take a medical history, and arrange for tests determining if the person qualifies to be a donor.
For more information visit www.donatelife.net.
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Myths & Misconceptions
Myth:
If doctors know you're an organ donor, they won't work as hard to save you.
Fact:
If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life.
Emergency personnel are in no way connected to transplant programs, nor do they have anything to gain,
financially or otherwise, by letting a patient die in order to remove organ or tissues. Emergency personnel
rarely, if ever, see any documentation of an individual’s desire to be a donor; driver licenses do not make it
into the hands of doctors caring for accident victims.
Myth:
When you're waiting for a transplant, your financial or celebrity status is as important as your
medical status.
Fact:
The computerized matching system does not select recipients based on fame or wealth. Organs are
matched by blood and tissue typing, organ size, medical urgency, waiting time, and geographic location.
Myth:
Your history of medical illness means your organs or tissues are unfit for donation.
Fact:
At the time of death, the appropriate medical professionals will review your medical and social
histories to determine whether or not you can be a donor. Even if you have had a serious health problem
like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, certain types of cancer, or even hepatitis, you may still be
able to donate at the time of death.
Myth:
Organ donation disfigures the body and changes the way it looks in a casket.
Fact:
Donation does not change the appearance of the body for the funeral service. An open casket funeral
is possible after donation.
Myth:
Your religion prohibits organ donation.
Fact:
All major organized religions approve of organ and tissue donation and consider it an act of charity.
Myth:
I’m concerned that minorities could be less likely to receive organs and tissues.
Fact:
Organs are matched by many factors, including blood and tissue typing, medical urgency and time on
the waiting list. A person’s race or ethnic origin does not affect who receives available organs. Patients are
more likely to find matches among donors of their same race or ethnicity.
Myth:
If I donate, I would worry that the recipient and/or the recipient’s family would discover my identity
and cause more grief for my family.
Fact:
Information about the donor is only released to the recipients if the legal next of kin requests that it
be provided to the recipients.
Myth:
There is real danger of being heavily drugged, then waking to find you have had one kidney (or both)
removed for a black market transplant.
Fact:
This is a famous urban legend. While black market transplantation has occurred outside the U.S., it is
only a small minority of transplants performed worldwide. The U.S. has a highly regulated system, and if
there is even a slight suspicion of illegal activity, the hospital will refuse to perform the transplant. There is
no documented evidence of the above scenario ever occurring in the U.S., and it would require removal of
the organ by a skilled physician as well as adequate compatibility with a recipient, so the chances of this
scenario occurring are highly unlikely.
Religious Views on Donation
AME & AME ZION (African Methodist Episcopal): Organ and tissue donation is viewed as an act of neighborly love and charity by these denominations. They encourage all members to support donation as a way of helping others. AMISH: Approved if there is a definite indication that the health of the recipient would improve, but reluctant if the outcome is questionable. ASSEMBLY OF GOD: The Church has no official policy in regards to organ and tissue donation. The decision to donate is left up to the individual. Donation is highly supported by the denomination. BAPTIST: Donation is supported as an act of charity and the church leaves the decision to donate up to the individual. BRETHREN: The Church of the Brethren’s Annual Conference in 1993 wrote a resolution on organ and tissue donation in support and encouragement of donation. They wrote that, "We have the opportunity to help others out of love for Christ, through the donation of organs and tissues." BUDDHISM: Donation is a matter of conscience. CATHOLICISM: Transplants are acceptable to the Vatican and donation is encouraged as an act of charity. CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST): The Christian Church does not prohibit organ and tissue donation. They feel that it is a personal decision to be made in conjunction with family and medical personnel. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE: No position, leaving it to the individual. EPISCOPAL: The Episcopal Church passed a resolution in 1982 that recognizes the life‐giving benefits of organ, blood, and tissue donation. All Christians are encouraged to become organ, blood, and tissue donors "as part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave his life that we may have life in its fullness." GREEK ORTHODOX: There is no objection to procedures that contribute to restoration of health, but donation of the entire body for experimentation or research is not consistent with tradition. GYPSIES (ROMANY): Gypsies are a people of different ethnic groups without a formalized religion. They share common folk beliefs and tend to be opposed to organ and tissue donation. Their opposition is connected with their beliefs about the afterlife. Traditional belief contends that for one year after death, the soul retraces its steps. Thus, the body must remain intact because the soul maintains its physical shape. HINDUISM: Donation of organs is an individual decision. INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICAL: Generally, Evangelicals have no opposition to organ and tissue donation. Each church is autonomous and leaves the decision to donate up to the individual. ISLAM: The religion of Islam strongly believes in the principle of saving human lives. According to A. Sachedina in his Transplantation Proceedings article, Islamic Views on Organ Transplantation, “The majority of Muslim scholars belonging to various schools of Islamic law have invoked the principle of priority of saving human life and have permitted the organ transplant as a necessity to procure that noble end." JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES: Donation is a matter of individual conscience with provision that all organs and tissues be completely drained of blood.9
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Religious Views on Donation
JUDAISM: Jews believe that if it is possible to donate an organ to save a life, it is obligatory to do so. Since restoring sight is considered life saving, this includes cornea transplantation. LUTHERAN: In 1984, the Lutheran Church in America passed a resolution stating that donation contributes to the well‐ being of humanity and can be "an expression of sacrificial love for a neighbor in need." They call on "members to consider donating organs and to make any necessary family and legal arrangements, including the use of a signed donor card." MENNONITE: Mennonites have no formal position on donation, but are not opposed to it. They believe the decision to donate is up to the individual and/or their family. MORMON (CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER‐DAY SAINTS): The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐Day Saints believes that the decision to donate is an individual one made in conjunction with family, medical personnel, and prayer. They do not oppose donation. PENTECOSTAL: Pentecostals believe that the decision to donate should be left up to the individual. PRESBYTERIAN: Presbyterians encourage and support donation. They respect a employee’s right to make decisions regarding their own body. PROTESTANTISM: Encourage and endorse organ donation. QUAKER: Donation of transplants is an individual decision. SEVENTH‐DAY ADVENTIST: Donation and transplantation are strongly encouraged by Seventh‐Day Adventists. They have many transplant hospitals, including Loma Linda in California. Loma Linda specializes in pediatric heart transplantation. SHINTO: In Shinto, the dead body is considered to be impure and dangerous, and thus quite powerful. "In folk belief context, injuring a dead body is a serious crime . . .," states E. Narnihira in his article, "Shinto Concept Concerning the Dead Human Body." "To this day it is difficult to obtain consent from bereaved families for organ donation or dissection for medical education or pathological anatomy . . . the Japanese regard them all in the sense of injuring a dead body." Families are concerned that they not injure the itai ‐ ‐ the relationship between the dead employee and the bereaved people. SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS): Organ and tissue donation is believed to be an individual decision. The Society of Friends does not have an official position on donation. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST: Organ and tissue donation is widely supported by Unitarian Universalists. They view it as an act of love and selfless giving. UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST: The United Church of Christ supports and encourages donation. UNITED METHODIST: The United Methodist Church issued a policy statement in regards to organ and tissue donation. In it, they state that "The United Methodist Church recognizes the life‐giving benefits of organ and tissue transplant."
Contact Us
In North and Central New Jersey:
Jessica Melore
Sr. Education and Programs Manager
NJ Organ and Tissue Sharing Network
691 Central Avenue
New Providence, NJ 07974
Phone: (908) 516‐5688
Fax: (908) 516‐5501
Email: [email protected]
In South New Jersey:
Mike Fox
Community Relations Liaison
Gift of Life Donor Program
401 N. 3
rdStreet
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: (800) DONORS‐1
Fax: (215) 599‐2051
Email: [email protected]
www.DonateLifeNJ.org
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