ORGAN DONATION

April 2001
		What does it mean to be an organ donor? Deputy Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu responds to your questions and comments.

Forum introduction How old is too old to be a donor? How do I find out about a specific donation? Can I be a living donor? What are the costs incurred by the family? I wish someone had asked me. Is it dangerous to be an organ donor? A message from a recipient Online Special: Organ Donation Return to the NewsHour's coverage of health	Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu, M.D., has held the position of Deputy Surgeon General since October 1, 1998. He is the nation's second-highest public health official and a 30-year veteran of the Public Health Service. Dr. Moritsugu, a longtime advocate for organ and tissue donation, calls the shortage of organ donors "a medical problem for which there is a cure." More than 75,000 people are currently on the United Network for Organ Sharing waiting list for organ transplants. But in 2000, only 11,516 people acted as donors. Dr. Moritsugu has also played a personal role in the world of organ and tissue donation. In 1992, his wife was killed in an automobile accident. Moritsugu and his wife had talked about organ donation, so he carried out her wishes and authorized donation of her organs. Moritsugu was forced to make the same decision in 1996 when his daughter was killed in a separate car accident. Dr. Moritsugu answers your questions.