Blood and organ donation
Wednesday 6 February 2008
Donating blood or becoming an organ donor could save someone's life. n2k finds out more about an NHS campaign that aims to tell young people about issues around donating parts of their body, either in life or after death, to help others.
Donating blood
Did you know that your body has around 8.5–12.5 pints of blood?
A person can recover from losing a third of their blood, but if they lose half they will die, that’s why it's so important that hospitals have a constant supply of blood.
Give and Let Live
The Give and Let Live campaign was set up by NHS Blood and Transplant in 2007. It aims to inform young people about blood and organ donation and how that can make a difference in other people’s lives.
Check out what some first time blood donors felt about the experience. Would they take that further and become organ donors too?
The campaign also attempts to get rid of some common myths about donating and to help young people decide whether giving blood, joining the NHS Organ Donor register, or signing up to a bone marrow registry is something they would like to do.
Why bother giving blood?
On a normal day there is only five or six days’ supply of blood in the blood banks.
As well as accidents and operations, blood transfusions are also used to treat illnesses like anaemia, and even as part of cancer treatments when people can’t produce enough healthy blood cells.
Does it hurt?
The Give and Get Live campaign say one of the biggest myths about giving blood is that it is very painful. In fact giving blood doesn’t hurt – most people don't feel a thing, except maybe a tiny pinch when the needle goes in. Watch a virtual blood donation session and see for yourself.
To be a blood donor you have to be over 17 and weigh more than 50kg (7st 12lbs). Read answers to other frequently asked questions about giving blood.
Watch this video to hear about one girl's experience.
Organ donors
There is a shortage of organ donors in the UK. While nine out of ten people say they think organ donation is a good idea, less than a quarter of the population are actually registered to be a donor.
Donated organs and tissue from one donor can save the life of several people, restore the sight of two others and improve the quality of life of many more.
There are no age limits with organ donation - you can sign up and become a donor at any age. However to donate bone marrow you must be 17 or over.
If you think being an organ donor is right for you, it’s important to tell your family about your wishes.
Ethnic backgrounds
Organ donations need to be matched by blood group and tissue type, like for kidney transplants for example. Patients from the same ethnic group are more likely to be a close match.
Sometimes people from ethnic backgrounds can have rare tissue types may only be able to receive a well-matched organ from someone of the same ethnic origin. Therefore it’s really important that people from all ethnic backgrounds register to donate organs. Find out more.
