Eye donation is an act of donating one’s eyes after his/her death. It is an act of charity, purely for the benefit of the society and is totally voluntary. The eye donation of the deceased can be authorized by the next of kith & kin even if the deceased did not pledge to donate his / her eyes before death. Age or systemic illness such as diabetes or hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease is not barriers for eye donations. The corneas of a person are unaffected even if they have undergone any eye surgeries in the past and hence will be useful can be transplanted in others.
There are wide spread social awareness programs and activities conducted across the country to impart the significance of eye donation and its usefulness to the visually impaired people. Till date, medical researchers and scientists are working on developing artificial cornea, but till that time, donating the eyes would be the best gift ever for a blind person suffering from corneal blindness.
Eyes are one of the most important sensory organs in the human body because it renders vision and the power to see. Visually impaired people feel that their life is incomplete as they can just touch, feel and smell things but can’t see it.
Statistics show that there are 15 million blind people in India and out of this, 6.8 million people are suffering from corneal blindness.
The Cornea is the clear tissue covering the front of the eye. It is a focusing element of the eye. The vision is dramatically reduced or lost if the cornea becomes cloudy. This loss of the vision is referred to as corneal blindness. Several corneal diseases affect children and adults and can affect both eyes making them blind.
When the eye is affected only by corneal diseases, replacing this part will restore the vision in such people. Corneal replacement is an easy and simple surgery and is performed at several eye hospitals in the country.
Donated eyes can be used to restore vision in people who are suffering from corneal blindness. The front, clear and transparent tissue of the eye called as cornea can be used to restore vision in a corneal blind person. The other portions of the eye are also used for research and training purposes to develop cures for some of the common eye diseases.
From each pair of donated eyes, two blind people will get vision and light in to their life, thus making it more divine.
Heart - A muscular organ that pumps blood through the body. A heart transplant can be used to help those suffering from heart failure, as well as babies born with heart defects.
Liver - A large organ that secretes bile and is active in the formation of certain blood proteins and in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Liver transplants may be used to treat various conditions which cause liver failure, such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Kidneys - A pair of organs that maintain proper water and electrolyte balance, regulate acid-base concentration, and filter the blood of metabolic waste, which is excreted as urine. The kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organ. A kidney transplant may be recommended for those who have been diagnosed with chronic end stage renal disease (severe kidney failure).
Lungs - A pair of two spongy organs that remove carbon dioxide from the blood and provide it with oxygen. Lung transplants are recommended for those with severe lung disease, such as cystic fibrosis, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and emphysema.
Pancreas - Long, irregularly shaped gland which lies behind the stomach and aids in the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Pancreatic transplants are indicated for those with insulin-dependent Type I diabetes.
Intestines - The portion of the digestive tract extending from the stomach to the anus, consisting of upper and lower segments. Patients qualify for intestine transplants if they have been diagnosed with life-threatening intestinal diseases such as total parenteral nutrition or short-gut syndrome
After your blood has been collected for donation, it is sent for testing in a laboratory. Here, it is screened for viruses and infections, such as HIV and hepatitis.
If the blood passes this screening, it will usually be separated into different components. This means your blood donation can be used to help several different patients.
Once the blood has been separated, it is distributed to hospitals all over the country. It is usually then stored in a blood bank until needed.
When the blood is needed, a blood transfusion is used to give it to a recipient.
It is such a wonderful feeling being able to help doctors save human lives. There are no perfect substitutes for human blood. The blood you donate is divided into various components according to the needs of patients. Each component can be used by different recipients for various purposes. Many newborn babies may benefit from a single blood donor as their blood requirements are smaller. Every time you donate blood, you can help up to 3 or 4 individual recipients. Be a hero by donating blood.
You can donate blood only if you are fit enough to do so. Before every blood donation process, a series of health check-ups are performed on the donor totally free of cost. This will be of great benefit to you. For example, you will come to know of any blood pressure abnormalities. That will help diagnose some of the indolent diseases at the early stage before they get flared up and present with multiple medical problems. Further, after the blood is donated, the blood and blood products that are derived from them are screened for certain infections. You can choose to be informed if they find any abnormality in those screening tests. Frequent blood donations are good free health check-ups that will help you stay healthy. Here is an interesting story of how blood donation saved a grandmother’s life.
Regular blood donations help to keep the levels of iron in the body in check, especially in males. This has shown to reduce heart disease. Though iron is an essential element for the proper functioning of the body, excessive iron build up can result in excessive oxidative damage. Oxidative damage is the major culprit implicated in accelerated ageing, heart attacks, strokes etc. You can read more of the scientific information on the American Journal of Epidemiology.
One time blood donation helps you shed 650 Kcal. This can aid you in your body weight control measures. However, blood can be donated safely once in two or three months and not more frequently. This will depend on your health status and your blood hemoglobin and iron levels.
High levels of iron have been implicated in cancer. Theoretically, donating blood frequently will reduce the risk of cancers. More research is going on to find strong evidence on this one. However, the old myth that blood donations may lead to cancer has been put to the grave.
