Scott A. Smolka1 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Scott A. Smolka Department of Computer Science Stony Brook University

Scott A. Smolka2 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 The Greater New York Coalition on Donation Much of the information in this lecture is from a Curriculum Guide developed by the Greater New York Coalition on Donation. Group of non-profit organizations dedicated to educating the public about the need for organ and tissue donation. create awareness of ability of organ donation to restore recipients to meaningful and productive lives dispel myths about organ donation encourage individuals to consider donation provide guidance on how to choose organ donation

Scott A. Smolka3 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Brief History of Organ & Tissue Transplantation 1st corneal transplant was performed in st blood transfusion in st kidney transplant in st heart transplant in 1967 current technology enables transplantation of skin, heart-lung combinations, lung, pancreas, liver, small intestines, heart valves, bone, and bone marrow.

Scott A. Smolka4 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 About Transplantation Transplantation is no longer considered experimental, but a desirable treatment option. Success rate for transplants averages 80 to 95 percent for the first year after transplant, and Patients are able to lead normal, active lives Major problem is obtaining enough donor organs for growing number of Americans needing them.

Scott A. Smolka5 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Who Can Donate Individuals over 18 can indicate their desire to be an organ and tissue donor by signing the back of their driver’s license or a donor card and expressing their wishes to family members If younger than 18, you can still choose to donate but only with consent of an adult who is legally responsible for you, such as your parents or legal guardian Relatives can donate a deceased family member’s organs and tissues, even those family members under 18

Scott A. Smolka6 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Deceased vs. Living Donor Organ donation can occur only in the case of brain death Donation of tissues can occur in almost any cause of death Certain kinds of transplants can be done using living donors More than half of all kidney transplants are performed with living donors often related to recipient Donor can live normal, healthy life with just one kidney New methods of transplanting a part of a living adult’s liver to either another adult or child who needs liver transplant.

Scott A. Smolka7 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Need for Organ & Tissue Donation More than 90,000 Americans - including more than 9,000 New Yorkers - are waiting for a lifesaving transplant Tens of thousands more await bone, corneal, and other tissues transplants New name is added to the national waiting list every 12 minutes.

Scott A. Smolka8 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Shortage of Available Organs Despite the increased need, there were only 6,457 deceased donors and 6,822 living donors nationwide in 2003, resulting in 25,464 organ transplants Across the U.S., 18 men, women and children of all races and ethnic backgrounds die every day (on average) for lack of a donated organ Nationwide, about half of the families asked about donation do not consent, primarily because they are unaware of their loved one’s wishes or due to a lack of awareness about donation

Scott A. Smolka9 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Share Your Life One organ and tissue donor can give 2 people sight and save up to 10 lives while enhancing lives of dozens of people. Acceptable organ and tissue donors can range in age from newborn to 90+ years old An estimated 10,000 to 14,000 people who die each year meet criteria for organ donation, but less than half of that number actually become organ donors

Scott A. Smolka10 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 OPTN and UNOS Donor organs are matched to waiting recipients by a national computer registry, called the National Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) This computer registry is operated by organization known as the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which is located in Richmond, Virginia

Scott A. Smolka11 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Uniform Donor Card & Consent Form By signing a Uniform Donor Card, an individual indicates his or her wish to be a donor However, at time of death, person’s next of kin will still be asked to sign a consent form for donation Is important for people who wish to be organ and tissue donors to tell their families about this decision so that their wish will be honored at the time of death Uniform Donor Card is a legal document. In New York State, there’s a donor card on back of every driver’s license.

Scott A. Smolka12 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 UNIFORM DONOR CARD MY COMMITMENT TO SHARE LIFE I, ________________________, have spoken to my family about organ and tissue donation. The following people have witnessed my commitment to be a donor. I wish to donate the following: [ ] any needed organs and tissue. [ ] only the following organs and tissue: _________________ Donor Signature ______________ Date ____ / ____ / ____ Witness _________________________________

Scott A. Smolka13 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Family Discussion When person decides whether or not to become organ donor, 1 st thing they should do is share feelings with next of kin. A family member’s knowledge of their loved one’s wishes can help a grieving family Family discussion does not have to be formal and burdensome. Can be as simple as saying to a parent, “I would want to be an organ and tissue donor. What about you?”

Scott A. Smolka14 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Family Discussion (continued) At time of death, family members would like to do what their loved one would have wanted to do. Prior knowledge of a loved one’s feelings makes that decision so much easier, and removes the burden from a family member. That is logic behind having two people witness the decision. Often when a family is having doubts, they will decide not to donate.

Scott A. Smolka15 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Course Projects Thoughts about course project on raising awareness about organ & tissue donation on campus and surrounding community? Any teams yet? What about the 25-minute in-class presentation?

Scott A. Smolka16 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Review of Potential Projects An Oprah-style show on organ & tissue donation Bring performance ofSekou Sundiata's acclaimed one- man show "Blessing The Boats“ to campus Organize 5K walk/run for organ & tissue donation awareness Legislative Day at Albany (Feb. 7) Develop website to link to SBU main website

Scott A. Smolka17 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Potential Course Projects (continued) Analyze the depiction of organ donation in movies: John Q, 24 Grams, others (view in class) One-Act play/esssay from perspective of donor family Awareness events – potluck, 5K run, play, etc. Research different types of transplants

Scott A. Smolka18 LDS 102, S17 1/23/06 Things to Do this Week Spend some time at and Enroll at least one person in the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry (How did this go?) Discuss organ and tissue donation with your family (anyone do this?) Think more about what you would like to do for term project