Organ Donor Chris Dukes: Encourages Us All To Consider Donating

In the upcoming movie, “Middleton Christmas,” actor Christopher Dukes plays the father of Trevor Stines (Riverdale), who vehemently opposes his on-screen son’s decision to donate an organ to a classmate. In real life, Dukes is a passionate advocate for organ donation.

“I lost a good friend on mine five years ago who was on a list for organ donation and didn’t get one in time,” Dukes recalls. “Especially as a parent of two children, I can’t even conceptualize losing one of them if they were in need and I know of two children, ages 4 and 8, whose lives were saved by organ donation.”

Because of these personal experiences with friends, Dukes began to think about being a donor himself conceptually and realistically. Since he is also a financial planner, the question often comes up when his office prepares a client’s estate.

A few facts about organ donation:

• There is no age limit for organ donation.
• Becoming an organ donor will have no impact on the care you receive should you fall ill.
• There are strict legal guidelines that must be carefully followed before brain death can be declared and organs removed.
• The doctors who treat a patient at the time of death are in no way involved with those responsible for organ removal.
• Organ donation is considered only after every effort has been made to save the patient’s life.
• Those with active cancer, HIV or active infection are not candidates for organ donation. People with hepatitis B or C may be donors.
• There is no charge to become an organ donor. All costs for donation are covered by the local organ procurement organization.
• Organ donation does not disfigure the body or delay funeral arrangements.

“Once you have given up the body that you have here on earth, many people want to do something for someone else’s life if they are able,” Dukes says. “It is one way to leave the world better than you found it.”