Most of us don’t have a lot of extra money to give to charities
or a lot of extra time to volunteer, but this doesn’t mean we don’t
care about what happens around us. Have you ever wondered what you
can do?
In becoming an organ donor, you can have an awesome, life
changing effect on the recipients and their families. You will be
giving life to someone in need. One person’s organs can help up to
50 people. It is possible to transplant 25 different organs and
tissues, including bone and cartilage, bone marrow, corneas,
hearts, kidneys, pancreas, intestine, liver and lungs.
The story of 17-year-old Jessica Santillan in North Carolina is
rare; she died after a doctor made the mistake of implanting a
heart and lung of the wrong blood type. The real threat involved in
organ donation is that the person who is in need of a new organ
will die before one becomes available. There is a massive shortage
of organs available for those in need. Almost 60,000 Americans are
waiting for a transplant, and every 16 minutes another name is
added to the waiting list.
Even though most Americans support donation, thousands of
donation opportunities are missed because their families do not
know the wishes of their loved ones. It doesn’t have to be this
way!
Sign a donor card in the presence of your family and have a
witness sign it also. Carry it with you everywhere. Contact the
local motor vehicle division to get a stamp put on your driver’s
license that will mark you as a potential donor. Any other legal
documents such as a will or living will can also identify your
wishes. Tell all your friends and family about your decision so
there will be no question in the event of your untimely death.
Please think about becoming a donor. It is an unselfish act that
can save another person’s life and is the least that any person can
do to make the world a better place.
Taylor Davis is a freshman English major.