Did you know? In spite of being the second largest population with 140 Crores people, India has 0.01% organ donation rate. This is an incredibly small and insignificant number compared to the statistics around the world. While Croatia has as high as 36.5% and Spain has 35.3% organ donation rate, in the USA it is 26%.

In India, there are more than half a million people estimated to be in dire need of an organ transplant every year. However, only a thousand transplants are performed each year. The rest usually die waiting for an organ as there aren't enough donors. The ‘Transplantation of Human Organs Act’ was enacted in India in 1994. Yet the gap between the number of organs donated and the number people waiting for transplant is ever increasing. The need for organ donors has never been greater.

Anyone can be an organ donor, irrespective of age, caste, religion, community, current or past medical condition. Children can also be organ donors after taking consent for organ donation from their parents. While vital organs like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs and pancreas can be donated in case of 'brain death', other tissues like corneas, heart valves, skin, bones etc can be donated in case of natural death. One person’s decision to donate his organs after his death could save up to 8 lives (8 organs can be harvested from a brain-deadperson and transplanted in 8 different people) and enhance the lives of over 50 people by way of tissue donation.

It may be difficult to think about organ donation when you have just lost a loved one. However, organ donation is a generous and worthwhile decision that can save millions of lives. For organ recipients, a transplant often means a second chance at life. Vital organs can be transplanted to those whose organs are failing. It allows many recipients to return to a normal lifestyle. For others, a cornea or tissue transplant means the ability to see again or the recovery of mobility and freedom from pain.

The act of organ donation has the ability to comfort grieving families. It is always difficult to lose a loved one. Many grieving families of organ donors draw comfort from the fact that their loss may help to save or improve the lives of others. Studies carried out to understand how a family's wounds heal have shown that the support from family members helps a person to overcome grief. The support of friends and religious and cultural beliefs also help donor families. Most of the donor families agree to donate organs because they felt that it was the only positive outcome from their loss.