August 2018 – Organ Donation
Due to the collaborative efforts between the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office and the The Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA), we are able to help save lives.
LOPA was established on April 1, 1988 as an independent, not-for-profit organ and tissue recovery agency. LOPA is federally designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid as the organ procurement organization (OPO) responsible for servicing the state of Louisiana. LOPA is tasked with two main objectives; housing and maintaining the Louisiana Donor Registry, and recovering organs and tissue for transplant. LOPA partners with professionals throughout the state to accomplish its life saving and enhancing goals.
Donor referrals are called into LOPA’s 24 hour call center. At that time, the referral is screened for registration, and all possible donation opportunities. If donation is an option, our staff walks that donor’s next of kin through the process of donation. LOPA commits service and support to our donor families. LOPA understands that there is no cure for the grief families of donors feel for their loss, therefore, we offer various grief resources, up to and including information on communication with transplant recipients who receive their loved-ones gift of life.
From January 1st – July 31st, through the gift of organ donation, 14 organ donors and 6 tissue donors from Orleans Parish changed the world — resulting in:
13 people received kidney transplants
14 people received liver transplants
9 people receive lung transplants
8 people received heart transplants
3 people received pancreas transplants
1 person received an intestine transplant
A total of 48 lives saved from organ donation
In all, approximately 420 lives were enhanced from tissue donation in the first half of 2018 with the help of the New Orleans Coroner’s Office. For more information about organ donation and the the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, please visit: https://www.lopa.org/