Transplantation of organs: Giving a new life, getting a new Life - Capitolo WHO CAN DONATE AN ORGAN?

The human body is an extraordinary machine that works through the actions of many organs and tissues, such as the kidneys, liver, heart, lungs and cornea, each one carrying out a specific function that helps to keep us alive and functioning. Unfortunately, diseases can cause organs to break down, the so-called organ failure, sometimes putting a person’s life or wellbeing in danger. The good news is that medical science has developed ways to successfully implant a healthy organ into a patients when one of their own organs has stopped functioning. The sad news is that there are not enough available organs for those in need. Who can give organs? People can donate their organs when, at the end of their lives, the brain loses its vital activities. But medical science has also found ways to let living people safely give part of an organ (or one organ when there are two, like the kidneys), with minimal risk for the donor’s health.