Donate Life: A final gift of compassion

An average of 18 people die every day in the United States due to a shortage of donated organs. There are currently 115,000 people in the United States waiting for an organ transplant, and there are thousands more who could benefit from cornea transplants or tissue donations. In 2011 there were 28,535 organ transplants performed, more than 46,000 cornea transplants, and more than one million tissue transplants. Each organ donor can save or improve the lives of 50 people (Donate Life, 2012).

Organ donation is a final act of love and kindness. What better way to make a difference in the lives of others than to help save their lives? With the sadness of the death of one person can come the hope and happiness of a life-changing transplant for many others. If reading the statistics is not enough to persuade you to become an organ donor, perhaps you should watch some of the inspirational videos about organ donation. Donate Life America has worked to spread awareness and encourage people to register as organ donors. They have produced a set of videos that tell the stories of donors' families and the recipients. A selection of these videos can be found at http://donatelife.net/stories-of-hope/.

There are many misconceptions about organ donation out there. Here are three important facts to keep in mind:

1. Everybody can be a donor regardless of age, race, or past medical history.
2. All major religions in the United States support organ donation.
3. The top priority when you are in the hospital is to save your life. Doctors will not hasten your death in order to get your organs faster.

If you are not already an organ donor and you wish to register, you can also register on the Donate Life America site at http://donatelife.net/register-now/.

You have the ability to save the lives of others! Please consider registering today!

References

About Donation and Transplantation. (n.d.) U.S. Department of Health and Senior Services: Organdonor.gov. Retrieved from http://www.organdonor.gov/about/index.html.

Get the Facts. (n.d.) Donate Life Missouri. Retrieved from http://www.donatelifemissouri.com/get_the_facts/index.html.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (April 3, 2010). Organ Donation: Don’t Let these Myths Confuse You.  Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organ-donation/FL00077.

Understanding Organ Donation. (n.d.) Donate Life America. Retrieved from http://donatelife.net/understanding-donation/.