BY ALIYAH CUNNINGHAM
Organ donation is a life saving operation that takes healthy organs and tissues from one person and transplants them to another person. People should become organ donors because they have the power to change a life. One single person can save up to 8 lives through one organ donation, according to Organdonor.gov. By deciding to be an organ donor, you provide hope and a second chance to thousands of men, women, and children awaiting organ transplants.
According to Organdonor.gov 18 people die everyday out of the 115,621 currently waiting for an organ transplant. This number will continue to increase unless we as individuals make an effort to change it. Every 10 minutes, a name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list. 90% of Americans say they support donations, but only 30% know the steps to take to be a donor.
Most people don’t sign up to become an organ donor due to fear about the process. Some of that fear comes from dramatic television shows that don’t accurately portray the process of donation. Another reason why people don’t donate is because they have the idea that doctors will not try to resuscitate them if they are listed as an organ donor. Doctors have to continue practicing CPR on your body even if you are brain dead in order to prevent your organs from failing. This uncertainty and fear plays a very large role in the decision-making process. If you are unsure about donating organs for transplantation, don’t let misinformation keep you from saving lives. People need to understand exactly how the process of organ donation works because it is the first step toward making a difference.
There is a vast cultural divide in attitudes towards organ transplant and availability worldwide. A lot of other countries are hoping to copy Spain’s success since they have had a 142% increase in donation since 1989 according to NCBI.gov. They have raised the number of donors by creating the Organización Nacional de Trasplantes (ONT). Which is a network of transplant coordinators in 139 intensive care units across the country. These coordinators identify potential organ donors by closely monitoring emergency departments and fully discussing the donation process with families of the deceased in a way that they can understand the whole process of being a donor. As a result, Spanish researchers found that out of 200 families that declined to have their family members’ organs donated, 78% changed their minds after the process was explained in detail. The U.S. should follow Spain’s example because it has improved countless lives.
Transplantation is one of the most remarkable successes in the history of medicine and despite continuing advances in the fields of medicine and technology, the need for organs is much greater than the number available for transplantation. It can be hard to think about what’s going to happen to your body after you die, let alone whether you are going to donate your organs or not. But being an organ donor is a generous and worthwhile decision that can be a lifesaver and make a huge difference. Even many families say that knowing their loved one helped save others lives helped them cope with their loss. It’s the greatest gift you can give someone: Life.
