Not many people think they will need an organ transplant one day. Those of us who start life healthy probably cannot imagine having to face that reality. It’s simply not a day-to-day thought. But for patients on an organ wait-list, the race against time is very real. It’s always in the back of their minds. And that’s why you should get onto the organ donor“donor” noun = a person who gives something to other people who really need it list.
What is organ donation?
An organ is a body part that performs a certain job. It is made up of different types of tissues. It could be a heart, lung“lung” noun 
, kidney“kidney” noun 
, liver“liver” noun 
, etc. When a person’s organ becomes damaged or diseased, their quality of life is poor. Their life could even be in danger. Therefore, they may need to undergo“undergo” verb = experience an organ transplant: a surgery in which the original organ is replaced with a healthy one from someone else’s body.
There are also surgeries for replacing damaged tissues. Tissues are parts of the body that contain similar types of cells. These include skin, eyes and bone. Tissue donations“donations” noun = things that people give to others who really need them are also in high demand across the country.
Who receives organ donations?
They could be of any age, gender, race or social status. From a child born with a defective heart, to a young professional with kidney disease, to a firefighter in a burn unit, to a COVID-19 survivor in need of new lungs, the organ and tissue recipient“recipient” noun = person who gets / receives a gift or donation list goes on. They are our parents, children, family members, spouses“spouses” noun = husbands or wives, friends, co-workers and neighbours.
People who have received organ and tissue transplants can go on to live healthy extended lives. They do have to take extra health precautions and medications“medications” noun = medicine, medical drugs. But many go on to achieve their life goals and dreams, and be vibrant members of their community. Some even participate in sporting events like the World Transplant Games.
A Life-Changing Transplant
Beverly Holtzman is a double lung transplant recipient who owes her life to an organ donor. Once a healthy, athletic woman who worked for TD Bank in Toronto, she was diagnosed“diagnose” verb = when a doctor figures out what health condition a patient has with a rare lung disease called LAM in 2002. Although there are some treatments to help manage the symptoms of LAM, there is no cure“cure” noun = something that will remove a disease completely for this illness. Some patients experience a very fast decline in lung function. Others have a slow decrease in health. Life expectancy after diagnosis is approximately 10 – 20 years.
Faced with this sad reality, outgoing Beverly continued to live as actively as possible. She travelled, worked and exercised. An oxygen tank“oxygen tank” noun = a machine that puts O2 directly into a person’s nose and mouth helped her to breathe during her workouts“workouts” noun = exercise activities. However, over the next 15 years, it became an everyday necessity that was always by her side.
From the beginning, Beverly knew that a lung transplant would be her only chance for survival. The hardest decision would be knowing when to officially put her name on the organ recipient list.
“You want to be well enough to survive the transplant and sick enough to need the transplant. So that’s something that everyone has to consider… They said I was sick enough to transplant two or three years before I really decided to list,” she says.
It was 2015 when Beverly’s body told her it was time. She let her doctor put her on the organ list. She left her job in finance and committed to a regular rehabilitation“rehabilitation / rehab” noun = a series of exercise activities to strengthen a sick or hurt body routine to prepare her body. And she waited.
Beverly recalls, “It took me about six months to the get the lungs. Some people wait years and years to get a match.” And even when they do get called into the hospital, they might arrive to find out it was a ‘false call’. This means the organ is actually not a great match – it is not in a good enough condition, so the transplant cannot take place. The patient returns home without a new organ.
The organ and tissue recipient list is long. There are more people across Canada who need organs and tissues than there are available donors. The sickest patients are placed at the top of the list because their situations are more urgent“urgent” adj = needing fast action. But, sometimes, patients die waiting for a transplant that never happens.
Who are organ donors?
Some organs and tissues come from people who are alive and healthy. This is called ‘living donation’. For example, if you donate blood or one of your kidneys to a sick family member, friend or stranger, this is a living donation.
Other parts of the body must come from those who have died. This is ‘deceased donation’. If a healthy adult has just died and he or she is on the organ donor list, the heart, lungs, liver and other organs and tissues can be removed and given to people who need them. One donor might be able to bring healing and save the lives of many people.
Before a transplant can be approved, the donor must be a ‘match’ for the recipient. This means the person must have a good level of health and suitable blood type before they are accepted. The location of a donor might also be important. The nearer they are to the patient, the more convenient because this saves precious“precious” adj = very valuable, rare, special time.
Although organ and tissue donors are anonymous“anonymous” adj = not revealing who you are, organ patients can still send messages to their secret donors or donors’ family members. And if all participants are willing, transplant organizations such as Ontario’s Trillium Gift of Life Network can arrange for them to know each other’s identities. Trillium and hospital transplant teams also help provide for the physical, emotional and financial needs of their patients and organ donor families, both before and after transplantation.
Organ Transplant Recovery
Every transplant patient is different. For Beverly Holtzman, the road to recovery was hard and full of setbacks“setbacks” noun = difficult challenges that slow your progress. After being on a ventilator, getting infections, spending time in ICU and being heavily medicated, she finally returned home after four weeks.
New challenges arose. She used a walker“walker” noun 
to move around until she was steady on her feet. She returned to rehab to strengthen her body. She joined a support group for transplant survivors. Beverly also began a life-long daily routine of essential anti-rejection drugs. These medications prevent her body from attacking its new organs, but also put her immune system“immune system” noun = the process within the body that fights off infections and viruses at risk. And she takes other medicines and supplements to decrease the difficult side effects of these drugs.
But she’s alive. She can breathe easily without an oxygen tank to keep her lungs pumping. Beverly has been able to spend time with family and friends, travel and participate in activities she loves. And she can look forward to a long future. All because someone chose to be a donor. And for that she’ll always be grateful“grateful” adj = thankful.
How to Get on the Organ Donor List
Becoming an organ donor is a personal choice. In Canada and the U.S. you have to register to give consent“consent” noun = permission to donate your organs and tissue upon death. Most people agree that it’s an important and generous thing to do. However, we still have a shortage of available organs. Our organ donor list is too small.
Maybe people just don’t want to think about such a sombre“sombre” adj = serious, dark topic. Others might wrongly assume they’re automatically on the list. Some people falsely believe myths about organ donation, so they are afraid to sign up. But, there really is no good reason NOT to get on the organ donor list. As Beverly quotes from a saying, “Don’t take your organs to heaven; heaven knows we need them more here.”
April is Be A Donor month in Canada and National Donate Life month in the U.S. Check out the links or find out about your own country to learn more about organ donation. Why not register today?
You might save someone’s life one day – and alter“alter” verb = change the life of their loved ones“loved ones” noun = people in your life who are very close to you, who will be forever thankful.
Esther Penner is the creator of Open Up English. She has worked in the English language education industry for over 20 years. She has taught ESL, coordinated international student recruitment, arranged homestay accommodations and done contract writing for educational programming. Esther’s first teaching job in Japan inspired her love of travel and culture. She was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, where she lives with her husband, daughter and grumpy cat Henry.
