Hi
Having recently moved and about to register at new GPs, one side of the form asks about being a donor. Now I want to say yes but Im sure we (PPMS) are not allowed to. Could anyone help please? Can,t really see why not as our MS isn’t catching is it.
Steve x
Hi Steve Just copied this from the MS trust. It looks like you can, hope this helps Sue x Organ donation Although people with multiple sclerosis can’t give blood or donate bone marrow, the donation of organs is allowed. The reasoning is that the recipients of organs can be told about the donor and are in a position to accept any associated risks. With transfusions of blood this is not possible. The suitability of most people as donors will be decided by the medical teams. The Department of Health revised the MSBT (Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation) Guidelines in August 2000. This takes into account the risks of disease transmission to the recipient of an organ. The only absolute contraindications are HIV and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (CJD). MS falls into a group of ‘diseases of unknown aetiology (cause)’. The Human Tissue Authority licenses organisations that store human tissue, including brains, for research. Their HTA website includes a list of UK brain banks including the UK MS Tissue Bank which stores tissue from the brain and spine of donors .
Thank you Sue. x
Glad I’ve seen this…really interesting piece of information.
I had already signed up to organ donation before I was dx’d and had never thought to remove myself or inform anyone.
Tracey x