HOMESaving Lives: Life Sharing Campaign
Organs
Organ donation saves lives. It is the most precious gift we can offer another human being as we die and depart this world. For someone still suffering from disease or injury, what you leave behind is a gift of life, a gift of hope.
More than 38,000 patients in Korea were awaiting organ transplants in 2020. Many of them suffer because they cannot find a donor. We need more donors to give these lifesaving gifts.
What is organ donation?
Organ donation is giving an organ of their own to be transplanted to another person, expecting nothing in return. donation can occur upon brain death (brain death donation) or at the time of death (deceased donation).
Brain death Donation
Organs (kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, Langerhans islets, small intestine, hand, arm, foot, leg)
Eye(cornea)
Deceased Donation
Eye(cornea)
Register to be a Donor
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Online: Sign-up on the OBOS website (www.obos3042.or.kr)
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In-Person: Visit the OBOS Nanumjari office at 1898, B1, Myeongdong Cathedral
(Office hours: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Open year-round)
*An Organ Donor Card is a great way to show your commitment to saving lives. Donors can fill out a request form at the office and leave with their Donor Card within minutes.
*Donors must be above the age of 16 to be eligible for donation. Those below the age of 16 must submit the signature of parents or legal representatives and official documents proving their legal representative status.
Stem Cells
We could save another person’s life by sharing a small part of ourselves.
In 2019, nearly 5,000 patients in need of a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplant could not find a donor. With a
donation, most of these people will have a complete chance of recovery. There are multiple different registers in Korea, but they all form part of a single Korean registry run by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. OBOS became an official
registration organization for stem cell donation in 2003. Since then, more than 50,100 people have signed up with OBOS to donate. Among these potential donors, 710 have seen a match and donated, saving 710 lives.
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What are hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)?
Hematopoietic stem cells are the stem cells that form blood and immune cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. HSCs make up 1 percent of a healthy person’s blood. HSCs can be isolated from the bone marrow, cord blood (collected from an umbilical cord after a baby is born), or peripheral (circulating) blood. In other words, you can participate by donating bone marrow, cord blood, or peripheral blood.
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Why is donation crucial?
Diseases like leukemia, aplastic anemia, or blood cancer occur when the patient’s body cannot make new, healthy blood cells. Destroying unhealthy HSCs from the patient's body and transplanting healthy HSCs will help treat these diseases.
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Is there a recovery time after donation?
Recovery times vary depending on the individual and the type of donation. The HSCs fully recover within 2 to 3 weeks, and the donation does not affect blood cell production. Most donors are able to return to work, school, and other activities within 1 to 7 days after donation.
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What are the different types of donations?
Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) donation: a non-surgical procedure where the donor is given injections that increase the number of blood-forming cells in their bloodstream. The blood is then removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that collects he blood-forming cells only. The remaining blood is returned to the donor. Currently, PBSC donation is the most common type of HSC isolation.
Bone marrow donation: an outpatient surgical procedure where the donor receives anesthesia, and doctors use special, hollow needles to withdraw liquid marrow from both sides of the back of the donor’s pelvic bone.
Register to be a Donor (*Please call ahead to schedule a visit)
OBOS Nanumjari office at 1898, B1, Myeongdong Cathedral
Phone: (02) 3789-3488
Office Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Open year-round
Blood
What is organ donation?
Anyone with blood cancer or blood disorder or anyone experiencing blood loss from an accident or surgery may need a blood transfusion. Blood donation is a precious gift of life. For some, donated blood may be the only chance of life. Donated blood can be stored for later transfusion. But because long-term storage is tricky, constant and reliable supply from donors is crucial. When demand exceeds domestic supply, blood can be imported. However, it is vital to be self-sufficient in our national blood supply, and donation is key to securing a constant and steady supply.
Register to be a Donor
For Individuals
- Hanmaum Blood Center (HBC): www.bloodnet.or.kr
- Korean Red Cross Blood Center (KRCBC): www.bloodinfo.net, bloodinternational@redcross.or.kr
For Groups (Local churches)
- Contact: (02) 727-2268
- Group donation is limited to whole blood donation
Register to give blood donor cards
Blood donor cards can help a patient save medical costs for blood transfusion. To give your blood donor card,
sign-up through mail or in-person visits.
Attn: Blood Donor Card coordinator, One Body One Spirit Catholic Center Room. 413,
80 Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
Apply for blood donor card support
At OBOS we give blood donor cards to help relieve medical costs for transfusion patients. Please contact the OBOS office to apply for support.
Contact: (02) 727-2270, obos@obos.or.kr
Financial Support for Medical Treatment
Sometimes people are unable to receive lifesaving treatment because they cannot afford the medical expenses.
However, no one should be deprived of the right to receive proper treatment and live a healthy life. It is only human
to offer a helping hand. At OBOS, we reach out to patients who cannot afford medical care and help pay for their
medical costs. This gift of money becomes a gift of hope.
| Whom we support | What we support |
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- Patients on the transplant waiting list (Brain death donation and Hematopoietic stem cell donation) - Children and teens who suffer from hard-to-treat illnesses (Patients up to the age of 24 who have rare blood disorders, childhood cancers, and other rare, hard-to-treat conditions) - Emergency patients - Individuals who cannot receive healthcare coverage |
- Operation and hospital treatment costs (Up to 10 million won) - The level of financial support can vary by the patients’ medical and economic circumstances upon careful review. - Contact: (02) 727-2270, obos@obos.or.kr |
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