Organ Donor Program Background

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Last Updated: Thursday, April 16, 1998

Sheriff Hathaway launches organ donor initiative

"In the past year, more than 80 Louisiana residents died for lack of an organ donation," Caddo Parish Sheriff Don Hathaway said today in launching a local organ donor initiative.

"More than 900 Louisiana residents waited for life-saving organ donations in the past year," the Sheriff said, "but there were only 88 donations to meet this critical need. Tragically, of the 812 citizens who continued to wait, 10 percent of them died."

Sheriff Hathaway said the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) has established the "Gift of Life Foundation" to enhance national awareness of the need for organ and tissue donations. The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office has joined the NSA, the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA), the Louisiana Donor Registry and other parishes across the state to encourage deputies and citizens to help with this vital program.

"We have made presentations encouraging deputies to consider becoming organ donors," the Sheriff said in announcing the initiative at a news conference today. "So far, we have signed up some 30 new donors."

National Organ Donation Week begins Sunday and Sheriff Hathaway said his agency will have registration forms and informational material available at all of its facilities throughout Caddo Parish. "Citizens may pick up information at our substations in Keithville, Oil City and Vivian, at our Operations Center at 4910 North Market and at our offices in the Courthouse," he said. "We are all encouraging citizens to join our effort to enhance awareness of the need for organ donors and to register."

The Sheriff said citizens need to know that signing the back of their driver's license is not enough to have the decision recorded in the LOPA database and "to be assured that their wish to give someone a second chance at life will be acted upon."

An organ donation registration form must be filled out, witnessed and turned in. Caddo Parish residents who wish to become donors may obtain the necessary materials from the Sheriff's Office facilities or by calling Deputy Judy Vaughan at 677-6667. Information about organ and tissue donation, including answers to frequently asked questions, is also available in the "News Releases" section of the Sheriff's Office website at www.caddosheriff.org. Citizens using the website may also request donor forms over the Internet.

Completed forms with the signatures and addresses of two witnesses should be returned to Deputy Vaughan, who will assure that each donor decision is recorded properly and sent to LOPA. Call 677-6667 with questions or call LOPA at 1-800-521-4483.

Sheriff's Office representatives are also available to discuss the organ donor initiative and the NSA's "Gift of Life Foundation" at community group meetings. To arrange for a speaker, call Deputy Vaughan at 677-6667. Requests for speakers may also be made through the website.

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Backgrounder

Sheriff's Office Parishwide Organ Donation Initiative

What does it mean to be an organ donor?

It means that you want to give someone a very special gift--a second chance at life. It means you have decided to give organs or tissues after your death to people who urgently need a transplant. The title "Donor" will appear on your driver's license.

The urgent need for organ transplants grows daily with over 50,000 people nationally and nearly 1,000 people in Louisiana anxiously waiting. You can save lives through donation. Your choice to become a donor can make a life-saving difference for these critically ill people.

You are not under pressure to say, "Yes." This is your personal decision which should be discussed with your family. If you have any questions, call the Louisiana Donor Registry at 1-8000-521-GIVE. Every Louisiana citizen has the right to make this decision. To assure your donation is recorded properly, file a donor form today.

SHARE YOUR LIFE...BY BECOMING A DONOR

SHARE YOUR DECISION...BY DISCUSSING IT WITH YOUR FAMILY

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will becoming a donor affect my medical care if I am in an accident?
The doctors and nurses treating you will always try to save your life. There is no conflict of interest. These doctors are not part of the transplant team.
Will my body be disfigured by donation?
Organs and tissues are removed in an operation at the hospital. Your body is treated with respect and an open casket funeral is possible after donation.

( M O R E )

Caddo Sheriff's Office Backgrounder -2- April 16, 1998

Is my family charged if I am a donor?
Families who donate do not pay for the donation. Families pay only for the costs involved in trying to save the life of the injured person. Donation is a gift--not a charge to the family.
Can I wait and talk to my family about organ donation before I decide?
Yes, information from the Louisiana Donor Registry about donation and transplantation is available by calling 1-800-521-GIVE. Share the facts with your family, talk with your doctor and clergy and discuss how they feel about helping others through organ and tissue donation. Take the form home with you and mail it in or sign it at the DMV or at the Sheriff's Office.
Why register your donation?
Those willing to donate express a concern for their families as well as wanting to help others through their donation. Registering with the Louisiana Donor Registry will identify you as a donor and will help facilitate the process for your family.
Where to obtain Donor Registry Forms?
Registry forms are available at all Louisiana Drivers License Offices, at most hospitals, the Sheriff's Office, or can be mailed to you if you call the Registry office or the Sheriff's Office.

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