As April’s Organ and Tissue Donation month came to an end, it is necessary to take time to think of organ and tissue donation.
Saint Xavier University Professor Cynthia Grobmeier is a donor mother who created The Maddog Strong Foundation, a national organization to educate others on organ donation.
Her non-profit organization is dedicated to her daughter, Maddie “Maddog” Grobmeier, who passed away unexpectedly the day after her 18th birthday. To learn more about her cause and the Maddog Strong Foundation–check out this article by Nathaly Duenas.
Despite the importance of the topic, many are unaware of the true process of donation. Misconceptions are amok, and they’ve caused many to be distrustful of donating.
One of the major misconceptions born out of conversation surrounding donation is that paramedics will not fight to save the lives of organ donors. This is far from the truth.
Not only is it wrong on just an ethical basis–it is wrong even on a semantic basis. If paramedics were less likely to save your life due to your status as a donor… there’d be no way for them to realistically fulfill this desire.
Due to her work, Grobmeier has come across many misconceptions about organ donation–much like the one mentioned above.
To combat this falsity, Grobmeier explains the following, “It is their job to do everything in their power to save people. But beyond that, a patient must be ventilated in order for the organs to even be considered to be donated.”
Paramedics and doctors have taken an oath to do no harm. There is no reason they would choose to not save an organ donor’s life; and yet, the misconception of it keeps a lot of people from becoming donors.
Another misconception born out of fear of donating is that it goes against one’s religion. There can be religious rituals to be performed before donating; however, the act of donating is one that is considered a final gift a person can give.
The misconception that it goes against one’s religious values is supremely false–as every major religion is in support of donating organs and tissue.
Weighing in on the matter, Grobmeier offers, “The entire process is rooted in deep respect, and in fact, many were surprised that our daughter Maddie was able to have an open casket funeral even though she donated four organs, both corneas, and multiple tissues–saving three lives, giving sight to two people, and changing the lives of nine others with her tissue donations.”
The act of donating one’s organs and tissues is a selfless act that many choose to do. Whether you choose to is completely up to you as an individual; however, it is important to have all the facts before making a decision.
Organ and tissue donation are life-saving decisions one can make after their passing, and it is a choice that should be made with all the facts on hand.