Hey you! Yes you! Are you an organ donor?

Published Nov 21, 2024

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It’s been a year! We have (hopefully) said goodbye to loadshedding, got a new government and amazingly polony did not try to kill us, but there are always ways we can change the lives of others.

In South Africa, there are approximately 3 000 people in need of a kidney, 150 in need of a liver, 250 people are in need of a heart and 200 in need of lung transplant.

These people include young children aged from 6 months for liver and 7 years for kidney transplant.

One deceased organ donor can save up to eight lives (eye, kidney, lung, intestines, liver, tissue, heart and pancreas) and improve the quality of life for many more through tissue donation.

@nmdp_org “I feel like this is my brother.” 🥹![CDATA[]]>💙 #leukemiasurvivor #leukemiawarrior #bloodstemcelldonor #stemcelldonor #savealife ♬ original sound - NMDP

The ripple effect of organ donation extends beyond the recipients, bringing hope and renewed life to families and communities.

People who are on an organ waiting list typically have end-stage organ disease that significantly impacts their quality of life and may be near the end of their life. Receiving an organ can become a life-changing event for these people.

It can also help a family work through the grieving process and deal with their loss by knowing their loved one is helping save the lives of others.

@nmdp_org “It is definitely the best gift I’ve ever been given.” 🥹![CDATA[]]>💙 #leukemiasurvivor #leukemiawarrior #leukemia #bonemarrowdonor #bonemarrowdonation ♬ Soft and minimal instrumental music(1259336) - MaxRecStudio

The average waiting period for heart, lungs and liver transplant in the country is approximately 6 – 12 months while those in need of kidneys can wait between 5 – 10 years. Unfortunately, due to the dismal number of donors in the country, many people die waiting on the transplant waiting lists.

So how about you do the right thing and register to become an organ donor?

A recent and heart-warming trend on tiktok, shows those who donated their organs meeting the people who received them.

As we hit the end of 2024 and the burnout rears its ugly head, here are a few viral tiktok videos to make you shed a few tears of happiness.

@officialmindsethub Man Meets His Life Saving Donor 🥹❤️#motivation #inspiration #success #viral #foryoupage ♬ original sound - Mindsethub
@humankind After she gets her transplant, she meets her donor #girlpower #confident #survivor #stlouisblues #gloria #donor #life #fyp @louiestlblues @nhl ♬ Surrender - Natalie Taylor
@goodnewscorrespondent

Kidney donor and recipient meet each other for the first time.Just hours after their operations, strangers Clay Garcelli and soon-to-be grandmother, Sonya Glover had a chance to meet. They now shared a life-changing experience: Clay’s donated kidney was a match for Sonya, who waited nearly a decade for her transplant! (🎥:uclahealth)

♬ The Wisp Sings - Winter Aid
@comettheking

❤️❤️❤️

♬ original sound - Comet & Bella
@nmdp_org 🥹 You might want to break out the tissues for this one. #wiscottaldrichsyndrome #stemcelldonor #bloodstemcelldonor #savealife #bethematch ♬ Emotional - Sallandu

IOL