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Show Haiwtd Awwwim Week Jtyd 20 - 27, 1997 Religious beliefs play major role in donation decision By Alisa C. Rasmussen news editor emeritus-Signpost No matter where people are from or what type of lifestyle they may lead, religion may play a large factor on how people respond to the idea of organ donation. With National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week taking place across the nation, including Weber State University campus, religious beliefs on organ donations may come up. The fact is, organ and tissue donation is supported among most religions because it is regarded as the greatest act of kindness one person can give another. "I feel organ donation is fine, if it can help other people," Father Charles Cummins of the WSU Newman Center said.. "It's not just how I feel, it is how the (Ro man) Catholic Church stands. In fact, I have a donor sticker on my driver's license." In Catholicism as well as many other religions, it is a matter of personal conscience whether organ donation is acceptable. "My religion doesn't openly encourage people to donate their organs," John Smythe, a Jehovah's Witness, said. "We don't necessarily discourage it when we look at the fact that it can save another human life. I think it's up to the person, really. All I know is, I wouldn't ever donate my organs. When it's my time to die, I wouldn't take anyone else's." Jehovah's Witnesses believe that before an organ is transplanted into another person's body, the organ must be drained of all blood. According to their faith, "Blood is dirty, and it could contaminate the recipient," Smythe said. Christian Science Monitor members do not take a specific position on transplants or organ donation. Their faith usually relies on spiritual healing rather than the use of medicine, but the question of donation is left solely to the individual. In 1974 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came forward with the policy statement that the "question of whether one should will bodily organs to be used as transplants or for research after death must be answered from deep within the conscience of the individual involved." Those views still hold today. Other religions that view organ donation and transplants as a personal choice are Protestants, Greek Orthodox and Buddhism. The Moslem Religious Council initially rejected organ donation for any followers of Islam in 1983. But according to a religious survey conducted by the American Council of Transplantation, the Moslem faith has recently "revised its position, provided donors' consent in writing before their death. However, any organs of Moslem donors must be transplanted immediately and not stored in organ banks." Joseph Feldman, former member of the Jewish faith, said Judaism teaches that saving a life is most important."It is really more beneficial to save a life than to keep all the good parts in a dead body and bury them," Feldman said. "It's the charitable thing to do, going along with the 'love your neighbor' agreement." Religious attitudes about organ donation have changed dramatically over the years, as has the medical expertise of transplantation. For most religions, donation for the benefit of others is viewed as a demonstration of charity and kindness. Most teach the ideology that it is still up to the individual to make the final decision. Any person with questions regarding organ donation and transplantation should consult with clergy or a spiritual adviser. AA Week promotes education, awareness about donation By Alisa C. Rasmussen news editor emeritus-Signpost Students who don't think they can make a difference in a. other person 's life are sorely mistaken. Just one little donor card and a talk with family members can mean saving someone else's life. And those recipients of life saving organ and tissue donations have the chance to say "thank you" during National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week, April 20-27. The week places special emphasis on recognizing donors and their families who made transplants possible. Donor Awareness Week also focuses on the urgent need for increased education and donation. First declared by Congress in 1986, the awareness week is an annual commemoration of the generosity of donors whose gifts enable others to have a second chance at healthy, productive living. According to Madeline Rush, education coordinator for the Intermoun- Myths quagmire organ donation truths By Alisa C. Rasmussen news editor emeritus-Si70sf Talk shows and tabloids have given their own light to organ transplants and the problems associated with giving body parts. Because of some forms of media, many myths have come about causing a lot of confusion for the public, a lot of frustration for the medical field. But the reality is that people need real facts before they can make any decision on becoming a donor. During National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, students can learn more about some of the realities and myths associated with donation.One widely-spread myth is that organ donation costs money. Donation is actually considered a gift, and therefore, it costs the donor family nothing. Another fact is that the costs of donation account for about 12 percent of the transplant recipient's total hospital bill. Despite recent conflicting media reports, it is still illegal for doctors to take organs before a patient is declared dead. No donation can be made until a declaration of death has COMEDY ItESEIMTS... JOHHNY BISCUIT From STRIP WE. TONIGHT! Thurs. at 8 $5 Fri. & Sat. at 8 & 10:30 S7 Sundays at 8 $5 Call For Reservations Clip this ad for 2 for 1 Admission 208 Historic 25th Street Ogden, Utah r aaMBaw""- tain Organ Recovery System, a relatively small number of people actually become organ donors, but donor gifts can provide life-saving transplants for close to a half-million recipients each year. "It's an important week for education," she said. "It's important for people to know all the lives they can save." In 1995, the last full year for which statistics are available, the United Network for Organ Sharing reported more than 19,000 organ transplants, including: bone, tendon, heart valves, veins, skin, corneas and ligaments. In fact, organ transplants appear to have increased in 1996, with 13,500 performed in the first eight months of last year. Even a single deceased donor can give needed tissues and organs for as many as 50 people. Since the beginning of organ donation the government has taken strides in education to facilitate organ and tissue donation. The National Transplant Act, been made, and even then, the patient's family must give final consent before any organs are allowed to be removed from the body, and it will not delay a funeral. Another myth about donating an organ is that it will disfigure the body and make open-casket funerals impossible. According to the Musculoskeltal Transplant Foundation, donation doesn't disfigure the body. "What many people don't realize is that when an organ is taken from a deceased body, doctors still use operating room conditions and the body is treated just like we would any patient," said Karen Gatskill, University of Utah medical student. so EJUdtlBacJes K I X a a rv j"1"! f p i J f ' 1 ' "i ' l J Call 626-6349 to set up your audition time by Wednesday, April 23rd! passed in Congress in 1984, mandated many regulations safeguarding the donation process, outlawing the sale and purchase of human organs and set up the first formal waiting list for organ transplant patients. In 1986 the federal government amended the Social Security Act with the "Required Request" function, requiring all hospitals receiving Medicare funds to notify families of potential donors about their donation option. , Unfortunately, the list of patients who qualify to receive donations continues to be much higher than the number of tissues and organs available for transplants. The Musculoskeltal Transplant Foundation estimates 3,500 Americans will die this year because compatible organs will not be available to save their lives. With a little education about organ donation, approximately 500,000 Americans could benefit from some form of transplant each year, according to the foundation. Media misinformation has even discouraged organ donation because transplants are thought to be on an experimental basis. This is simply not true. Survival rates are climbing and transplants are now regarded as standard medical practice. The current survival rates are considered impressive by the medical field, with one-year survival rates for a kidney transplants at almost 96 percent, and for heart recipients the rate is over 82 percent. Whatever the concern, students need to invest the time to become educated about organ and tissue donation. For more information, call the Intermountain Organ Recovery System at 521-1755. A f r r fx -" l " V t i 1SqST (J 1 u |