MARK POCHAPIN, MD: Welcome to our webcast. Most of us have a driver's license, and when we look on the other side we see something about organ donation and we just turn the license back over and put it in our pockets. With me today to discuss this is an organ transplant recipient, David Pearl, who is also a friend and colleague. David is a liver transplant recipient and works as an ultrasound technologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Welcome, David.
Sitting next to David is Julia Grivera. She is a professional educational specialist at the New York Organ Donor Network. Thank you, Julia.
Let's talk about organ donation. Julia, what is the magnitude of the need, and howcome more people do not actually sign up for organ donation?
JULIA GRIVERA: There are a number of things that block it, and I'll talk about that. But I've got to tell you that every 18 minutes another person gets added to the waiting list.
On the other hand, we have very few people that are saying yes to donation. There are fears. There are fears and myths that are associated. Some people think that it's against their religion. The fact about that is that all the major religions have taken a position in support of organ donation. Some people are afraid that a donation, when the organs are procured, will disfigure the body of their loved one and they will not be able to have an open casket wake and a funeral. Well, that is false, also, because the incisions are done in such a way to preserve the integrity of that body and to insure that they are able to have an open casket. In addition to that, there are other kinds of fears that are associated that are also associated with grief. What we are trying to do is to ask people to have a conversation about this. Most of us are afraid to talk about death. We're afraid to even think that we're going to die. If we write our donor card, then something may happen. The reality is that we really need to begin to talk about this because we need to have insurance, we need to protect our families, and, along with that, we want to make sure that we sing a donor card. Most families that know what your option, that you choose to make a gift of life, will honor your choices. If we sign the back of our driver's license or we sign a donor card, it doesn't mean that in the hospital we are able to recover the organs, because the family still has to sign a consent.
