DENVER — In April, Colorado doctors and donor recipients are hoping to catch your attention about National Donate Life Month. They are highlighting the importance of becoming an organ donor.
“The transformation seen in patients post-transplant is remarkable,” the medical director of HCAHealthOne's liver transplant program, Dr. Mary Ann Huang, said. “Before their procedures, many patients are gravely ill and in and out of the hospital. Six months later, they look like completely different people. It has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my 20-year career.”
Dr. Mary Ann Huang said an organ donation gives a person a new lease on life.
“For my patients who receive transplants, I often wish them a 'happy birthday' because they are not only given a new lease on life but also a new beginning,” Dr. Huang said. “It’s incredibly exciting to witness their transformation.”
Dr. Huang said in her time has a doctor there have been many medical advancements significantly improved the preservation of organs for transplant.
“When I was in training 20 years ago, we had a very limited time to perform transplants once an organ was removed from a donor due to concerns about blood flow and potential damage,” Dr. Huang explained. “Today, we have devices that support organ viability for longer periods, ensuring that they remain in optimal condition for transplant recipients.”
The most common way to register as an organ donor is through your driver’s license, where you can indicate you want donor status.
The DMV is one of the primary partners in getting people signed up as a donor, according to the organization Donor Life America, sharing this partnership helped register more than 140 million donors.
You can also sign up through the state’s registry, the National Donate Life Registry, or via the Health app on your iPhones, which then gives that information to the National Donate Life Registry.
Dr. Huang said as hard as it can be, it’s important to discuss organ donation wishes with family members.
“While conversations about end-of-life decisions can be uncomfortable, it is essential that your loved ones understand your desire to be an organ donor,” Dr. Huang said. “The gift of life is invaluable to our patients.”
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