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ORGAN ORGAN
DONATION DONATION

One Organ Donor Could Save up

to Eight Lives Through Donation

Courtesy of the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance
I n the United States, there are 56 organ procurement organizations donor hero.

From the moment organ donation becomes an option, TOSA’s
(OPOs) dedicated to this objective. Texas Organ Sharing Alliance
(TOSA) is one of three in Texas. TOSA headquarters are in San teams of caring professionals begin to coordinate and facilitate the do-
Antonio, Texas, with additional offices in Austin and McAllen. The nation process and work with families through the journey. That
organization serves 56 counties across the state, accounting for 7 mil- process begins after a patient is legally declared brain dead (BD) or de-
lion Texans. ceased after circulatory death (DCD). The hospital staff refers the pa-
Since being established in 1975, TOSA has had a mission of saving tient to TOSA’s 24x7 call center to evaluate the patient, their medical
lives through the power of organ donation and has focused on two history and verify if they meet donation criteria. TOSA staff will also
major initiatives: increasing the number of registered donors and facil- confirm if the patient is registered as a donor.
itating the donation process. To accomplish this, TOSA works with Of the 2.2 million people who die each year, only approximately two of those waiting for a transplant. There are over 100,000 people cur- TOSA is now looking to the future and exploring possibilities of in-
over 140 hospital partners, community leaders and volunteers dedi- percent will qualify to be organ donors. If the patient is a candidate for rently on the national transplant waiting list with over 10,000 of them corporating technology that could facilitate vital healthcare services. In
cated to organ donation and its life-saving possibilities. In 2022, within donation and did not register their decision, TOSA’s trained profes- in Texas. Today, 40 percent of the patients on the waiting list in Texas 2022, TOSA and the Matador Consortium began a collaboration and
TOSA’s service region, there were 280 organ donors who gave the pre- sionals have a conversation with the patient’s next-of-kin to get consent are Hispanic while 25 percent are Black. discussion on the possibility of using uncrewed aerial systems (UAS)
cious gift of life resulting in 829 organs transplanted. for organ donation. If the patient has given first-person authorization The need for organ donation and transplantation is more pro- to help transport organs and tissue to and from rural areas, potentially
TOSA has committed to serving their donor families and the self- (FPA) by registering to be an organ donor, TOSA staff will inform the nounced in minority communities where disproportionately higher improving healthcare access for the 60+ million people living in rural
less generosity of their donor heroes by creating two specialized fa- family of the decision their loved one made. Texas law dictates first- rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease contribute to communities across Texas and the United States.
cilities in collaboration with a coalition of donor recovery agencies: person authorization of a donor is legally binding and cannot be re- organ failure. Although transplants can be successful regardless of the These types of innovations, alongside other plans for the future of
The Center for Life in San Antonio and The Center for Hope in voked, regardless of the mechanism of death. race or ethnicity of the donor and recipient, the chance of longer-term Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, keep the non-profit on pace to grow and
Austin, Texas. These first-of-their-kind recovery centers save addi- The recovery of organs takes place at either the patient’s current hos- survival may be greater if the donor and recipient share a similar genetic expand services. The achievements in the past years have leveraged
tional lives and increase organ donation by expediting the recovery pital or one of TOSA’s centers. Organs recovered are transported to a background. teamwork, knowledge and dedication, which helped to shape a dona-
of organs, allowing families to begin grieving and arranging memorial transplant center for the recipient to undergo surgery. Therefore, TOSA’s education and recovery efforts are essential for tion culture that inspires and educates Central and South Texas com-
services in a timely manner. After the donation is made, TOSA provides donor families with sup- successful organ transplants. munities and keeps focus on their vision of an organ for every person
TOSA works closely with Donate Life Texas (DLT), the official tis- port in their grieving process and connects them with a community of on the waiting list.
sue, eye and organ donor registry in the state, to promote the registry other donor families. To honor donors, TOSA unveiled The Wall of “Over the past 48 years, TOSA has worked tirelessly with
and increase the number of registered donors across their region. Joint Heroes at their San Antonio Headquarters in 2020. The centerpiece compassion, dignity and respect to stay true to our mission For more information, visit www.tosa1.org
campaigns, events and community education opportunities combat pays tribute to organ donors from TOSA's service area. The Wall of of saving lives through the power of organ donation,” said and www.donatelifetexas.org/tosa1, and
misconceptions and misinformation while reinforcing the importance Heroes will eventually display over 6,000 donor medals engraved with TOSA President and CEO Joseph Nespral. “We strive to contact TOSA at communications@TOSA1.org
of signing up as an organ donor. Once an individual makes the decision the donor's first name, last name, initial and date of donation. continue growing and innovating and expanding our reach and 210-614-7030.
to sign up and save lives, they are encouraged to share their decision TOSA’s collaborative efforts aim to create a positive culture for organ to keep going strong for years to come.”
with loved ones so families will be aware of their wish to become a donation in multicultural communities to make a difference in the lives

22 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • February 2024 Visit us at www.bcms.org 23