Facts regarding LifePoint and organ, eye, tissue donation:
Contributed by LifePoint

+ S.C. is one of the leaders in the U.S. (in regard to the number of organs recovered.)

+ Eight lives can be saved by one donor and hundreds more can have life en-hancements through tissue and ocular donations.

+ LifePoint, Inc., is an independent non-profit corporation dedicated to advancing organ, eye, and tissue donation in South Carolina for transplantation and research.

LifePoint's roles:

+ Work with hospitals

+ Provide family support

+ Procure the organs, tissues, eyes

+ Arrange for transplantation

+ Maintain ongoing relationship with donor families

Many waiting for a life-saving organ...Data as of Aug 23, 2006:

+ 92,600 people are currently on the national waiting list for organs. Many of them will die while waiting because there is a critical shortage of donors in the U.S.

+ 664 of those on the national waiting list for organs are in South Carolina (433 black, 219 white, 8 Asian, 3 Hispanic, 1 multiracial).

+ The majority of them (604) are waiting for a kidney. (418 of them are black). 30 need a liver, eight a pancreas, 15 a kidney and pancreas, and 12 need a heart. (Note: Totals may be less than the sums due to patients included in multiple categories.)

What can be donated: Up to 25 different organs and tissues can be donated for transplantation.

Transplantable organs include:

Heart

Kidneys

Liver

Lungs

Pancreas

Small intestines

Transplantable tissues include:

Blood

Blood vessels

Bones

Bone marrow

Cartilage

Connective tissues

Eyes

Heart for valves

Skin

Why You Should Become a Donor:

+ Almost everyone can donate. Donors may range in age from full-term newborns through adults.

+ Each organ donor has the potential to save the lives of up to eight individuals and, through tissue and eye donation, can provide life-enhancing benefits to hundreds more.

+ Everyone should sign up to be a donor. Medical experts will determine the suitability of each potential donor's organs and tissues following death.

+ Doctors do everything possible to save everyone's life regardless of the patient's desire to donate.

+ The organ donor's family is never charged fees for donating.

+ Donors do not feel any pain and their bodies are treated with the utmost respect.

+ Organ and tissue donation do not interfere with having an open casket.

+ All organized religions support organ and tissue donation.

How to become a donor:

Download a donor card from our LifePoint Web site: www.lifepoint-sc.org

Fill out the card, keep it in your wallet and let your loved ones know about your desire to be a donor. Donor cards can also be obtained from the Division of Motor Vehicles.

For additional information, call LifePoint: 1-800-462-0755 or 843-763-7755

If you would like to arrange to have a guest speaker discuss organ and tissue donation, contact Donate Life South Carolina 864-616-5675 or 1-877-277-4866 (1-87-277-pass it on).

They assist LifePoint in providing public education about donation.

S.C. Donors in 2005:

+ S.C. is one of the leaders in the U.S. in regard to number of organs recovered.

+ In 2005, S.C.'s donation rate exceeded the expected rate of 59.6% with a rate of 72.3% of those eligible (brain-dead) saying yes to donation.

LifePoint's success rate with organ donation is significantly higher statistically than the expected rate that is set by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, according to mortality rates and many other variables.

Of the 58 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States, South Carolina's LifePoint ranks in the top five in terms of organs recovered per million population.

We had 140 organ donors in South Carolina during 2005. This represents 38.89 organ donors per million population. The top OPO recovered 40.65 organ donors per capita.

The 140 organ donors in S.C. last year provided a total of 428 transplantable organs. During 2005 LifePoint also successfully recovered tissues from approximately 750 donors in South Carolina. Their generosity provided sight to approximately 500 corneal recipients. In addition, approximately 15,000 people can receive life-enhancing benefits as musculoskeletal and cardiovascular recipients.