Cindy Doctolero shares the story of her son, Cedric. “Cedric started to experience problems in January 2000, and after many tests and with only a year, at the most, of life expectancy, he was placed on the transplant list in March. He received his new heart on April 12, 2000, when he was about 21 months old. He is now 6 years-old and in the 1st grade. He is just your normal little boy, living a healthy life, with the exception of periodic doctor visits and routine medications. We are very happy and grateful”.



Transplantation, Yes! Organ Donation, Why Not?

As community outreach coordinators for the California Transplant Donor Network, an organ procurement organization (OPO), we are asked questions about organ donation and in turn, we ask why they have not made the decision to become organ donors. The overwhelming response is “It is not in my culture to donate.”

Fifty years ago, Dr. Joseph E. Murray performed the first kidney transplant on identical twins, Ronald and Richard Herrick. Ronald became the first living-related kidney donor to Richard and because they were identical twins, the chances of organ rejection was greatly reduced. Richard’s kidney transplant gave him 8 more years with his new wife, who he met during his surgery, and the gift of two children.

Development of anti-rejection drugs and medical technology have allowed for more successful organ transplants and longer survival rates for transplant recipients.

In turn, organ transplantation has become the viable treatment for organ failure which has led to an increase in the national waiting list to nearly 100,000 people. Clearly, transplantation works and, in fact, 26,691 transplants were performed last year alone. Also, Asians and Pacific Islanders comprise approximately 4% of all recipients.

With the longer survival rate and the long list of people on the waiting list, organ transplantation has become a common and acceptable medical treatment for end-stage organ failure. Unfortunately, organ donation has not been accepted in the community in the same way as organ transplantation. Without deceased organ donation, there will be no organ transplantation; without deceased organ donors (except for kidney-liver living donors) there will be no organ recipients. However, every family is given the option of organ donation. After the physicians have exhausted all live-savings measures, federal law requires that the hospital report all deaths and imminent deaths (a person who is near death) to the local organ procurement organization. The OPO will determine if the patient is medically suitable to be a potential organ donor and provide assistance to the family in their moment of grief and tragedy.

Thousands of lives have been saved because people decided to be an organ donor and then shared their decision with their families. Thousands more were given the gift of life because of the heroic decision of families, on behalf of their deceased loved-ones, give consent for organ and tissue donation. Vicente Agor was 42 when he received the gift of life on March 23, 2003. He suffered kidney and pancreas failure due to diabetes. After his successful transplant, he decided a career change from financial investment executive to his dream as a jewelry designer. When he recently agreed to meet his donor family, he designed the donor mother a necklace with a pearl-shaped dove.

Natalie Apana received the gift of life on February 14, 2003 when her doctor said to her, “We have a beautiful, strong heart waiting downstairs for you.” Earlier Apana was diagnosed with a pregnancy-induced cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease that causes the heart muscle to enlarge or thicken during the late stages of pregnancy. (Filipinas Magazine February 2005, Heart Healthy, Heart Smart by Karen Abalos).

More stories exist of the miracle of transplantation and numerous success stories have led to the overwhelming acceptance of transplantation. Organ transplantation has become, not just a part of the medical culture, but accepted in the general culture. However, when we talk about transplant recipients, we shy away from talking about organ donation. There can be no limit to the everyday miracle of saving lives through organ donation. Let us share the heroic stories of organ donors and their families who make the gift of life a reality.

"The gift of organ donation will bring the hope of a life to our communities, and maybe, even you. Make this gift mean something for someone else right now. We have more to share of ourselves than we know."
Rex Navarrete, Comedian