If you are planning your donation for 2022, you should do it in a special way.
donate blood
Blood is needed by women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anemia, accident victims, surgery and cancer patients. There is a constant need for a regular supply of blood as it can only be stored for a limited time. Regular blood donations from enough healthy people are needed to ensure blood is always available when and where it is needed. The decision to donate blood can save a life, or more when your blood is separated into red blood cells, platelets and plasma, which can be used individually for patients with specific medical conditions.
New Mexico and the US as a whole have serious shortages of O-negative blood, with only a two-day supply available. Donations dwindle over the holiday season, but blood on the shelves saves lives and now is a wonderful time to give.
Blood Donations in Greater Albuquerque:
• Vitalant Blood Donation is located at 1515 University Blvd NE and 2003 Southern Blvd SE #122, Rio Rancho. Vitalant also coordinates mobile blood drives with companies and organizations. Blood donations can be scheduled online at https://www.vitalant.org/ or by calling (877) 25 VITAL for specific information. COVID-safe practices are followed. A blood donation takes just 30 minutes — about the same as an oil change, but with far greater impact. According to Vitalant, the need for supplies will soon become critical.
According to the Health Resources & Services Administration, you can donate some organs and tissues during your lifetime. Most living donations take place between family members or close friends. Other people choose to donate to someone they don’t know. Almost 6,000 living donations are made each year. That’s about four out of ten donations.
Maybe you can donate:
• One of your kidneys. A kidney is the most common donation, and your remaining kidney removes waste from the body.
• A lobe of liver. Cells in the remaining lobe grow or regenerate until your liver is close to its original size. This happens in a short time for both you and the receiving patient.
• A lung or part of a lung, part of the pancreas, or part of the intestine. These organs do not grow back. Both the part you donate and the remaining part are fully functional.
• Tissue. Skin after surgeries like a tummy tuck, bones after knee and hip replacements, healthy cells from bone marrow and umbilical cord blood, amnion after birth and blood – white and red blood cells and platelets.
New Mexico has two transplant centers. Presbyterian Hospital Transplant Center- Kidney and Pancreas Transplants at https://www.phs.org/doctors-services/services-centers/transplant-services/Pages/default.aspx or by calling (505) 923-5256 and University Hospital Transplant Services Kidney Transplant Program, visit https://unmhealth.org/services/kidney-care/transplant-services.html or call (505) 272-3106.
After the live
When you die, you can give an organ or part of an organ to someone in need, improving and saving lives. In November 2021 we learned about Xaven Garcia who acted heroically, making the final sacrifice to save his family from a fire and donating his organs after his death. Deceased organ donation is the donation of an organ or part of an organ at the time of the donor’s death for the purpose of transplantation to another person.
According to New Mexico Donor Services, one donor can save up to eight lives by donating lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, pancreas and intestines. Donors impact the lives of 50 or more people by donating tissue. For example, heart valves can be transplanted into children born with congenital heart defects. Skin tissue can be used to heal burn victims and aid those suffering from a disfiguring injury or disease. Corneal donation can restore vision to people whose vision is impaired. Over 60% of New Mexicans have registered as donors, but more people are needed.
To register online as a donor, go to https://registerme.org/. You can also become an organ donor the next time you renew your New Mexico driver’s license. Visit New Mexico Donor Services online at https://donatelifenm.org/ or call (505) 843-7672.
Donate bodies for education, research
According to the Cleveland Clinic, people have a variety of reasons for donating their bodies to medical science. Many do this because education is important to them. Others donate their bodies to medicine because they value the medical care they receive personally. The human body is wonderful and, yes, mysterious. We may never learn everything about our bodies or how to treat every ailment that afflicts us, but with the advancement of medical science and the selfless generosity of donors, knowledge is growing.
You can donate your body, which will be delivered to the University of New Mexico School of Medicine after death, to further medical science, education, and research. The donation form is online at https://unmhealth.org/give/_files/anatomical-donations-form.pdf. If you are interested in this donation, discuss the plans with your healthcare provider and family.
SOURCES:
blood donations:
www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/blood-products-why-should-i-donate-blood
Living organ donation:
https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/process/living-donation
NM donation after life:
https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/process/donation-after-life
https://www.donatelife.
net/types of donation deceased donation/
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