Organ donation is the process of giving an organ or a part of an organ for the purpose of transplantation into another …show more content…
Almost anyone, at any age, can be an organ donor. Anyone under the age of eighteen will need to have the consent of a parent or guardian. Medical history is another important aspect to be considered. If the patient 's medical history does not rule out donation, Gift of Life then begins the process of identifying potential recipients. A few diseases and conditions may rule out donation. For example, organs from a person who is HIV positive will not be accepted. Also, if someone has active cancer in a particular organ, they cannot donate that organ. The risk of donating an infected organ is far too great. Unfortunately, if cancer has spread throughout the body, the organs will not be able to be donated. There is also a great risk of infecting the person who will receive the organs. A history of certain kinds of cancer, particularly brain tumors, might allow organ donation depending on the circumstances and how likely it is that the recipient may die if the organ isn’t used. On the brighter side, a history of cancer in the distant past that is likely to be cured may not rule out organ donation. Caution should be taken when it comes to situations like cancer, because that would open a new door of problems for the patient. Donors are tested for a wide range of diseases and conditions before the donation occurs. Blood tests and other examinations are done to test the function of specific organs. All donors are tested for HIV, hepatitis, and other viruses that could pose danger to a transplant recipient. Lastly, the donor 's family is interviewed carefully in order to obtain the potential donor 's medical history. The OPO, Organ Procurement Organization, oversees the coordination of donors and