Quietly, organ transplants save lives — but more donors needed

When San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliott slammed over Atlanta’s Roshown McLeod in a 2000 NBA game, it was by no means his most famous shot. This wasn’t the last-second, falling-out-of-bounds jumper that beat Portland in Game 2 of the previous year’s conference finals.

But Elliott’s routine dunk was cheered across the nation. It was his first game after kidney transplant surgery — the first such comeback in league history.

With much less fanfare, thousands receive vital transplants each year, and thousands more move onto transplant waiting lists. For those on the lists — about 100,000 nationwide and 8,000 in Texas — not every story has a happy ending. Hundreds die every year while waiting for a potentially life-saving transplant.

To help meet the quiet, never-ending demand for organ, tissue and eye transplants, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) maintains the Glenda Dawson Donate Life registry, where Texans can officially sign up as donors.

K Adrian Lozano of DSHS said the registry is a big improvement over the previous organ donor system, in which people signed a donor card and received license plate stickers indicating their donor status.

“That didn’t necessarily translate into organs and tissues actually being made available after death. The registry is a readily accessible way to verify your decision,” Lozano said.

Anyone is eligible to register as an organ, tissue and eye donor. Just go to the registry (www.donatelifetexas. org) and click Sign Me Up Today to start the simple, five-minute process.

Your information is secure. Only authorized organ procurement organizations and tissue and eye banks can access it.

Department of Public Safety offices also offer organ, tissue and eye donation registration. Simply check the donation option when you apply for or renew your driver license or I.D. card. Your registration automatically is added to the registry.

If you change your mind about organ donation or need to update your donor information, go to the registry website, click the Sign Up link you used before, and make any needed changes.

That’s how easy it is to create and manage a donor registration. But some still ask: Why bother to register in advance when you can always step up and volunteer at the moment of need for a family member or friend?

“There are several reasons why that may not be possible, including blood type, incompatible organ size and so forth,” Lozano said. “Also, many organ, tissue and cornea donations are from people who no longer are living. If you’re not in the registry, there’s no way to verify that you wanted to be a donor.”

No matter how you register, it’s important to inform your family in advance. Even if your wishes are known, it’s still an emotional moment when health professionals come to your family after your death and ask about recovering organs, tissue and eyes.

This request will be much less stressful if your family understands why you made your decision and how deeply committed you are to it.