Support Organ Donation
I. introduction
On average 22 people die everyday from the lack of available organs for transplant stated by the American Transplant Foundation. Organ donation is a selfless act that gives someone a second chance at life. Be a donor and save a life!
II. Body
A. How to become an organ donor?
Organ donation is a noble act in which the body organs are transferred from one body to another In most cases the donor chooses to donate his body organs after his death.
1. Body organ donation can save human life The fact that the donated body organ can potentially save a human being from the clutches of death is one of the biggest plus involved with body organ donation
2. Organ donation makes it possible for an individual to get involved in this selfless act of saving human life. Your eyes can make a person see the world and certain organs can make a person breathe and so on.
3. Feeling good about oneself . Being aware of the notion that your organ donation can save a life can make you feel good about yourself. As they say Everything that goes around comes back.
B. Benefits of Organ Donation
Perhaps you are considering becoming an organ donor but are not completely sure why you should. There are many benefits of organ donation for all parties involved.
1. You Can Help Save Lives and Make a Difference
2. For Transplant Recipients
A second chance. For organ donor recipients a transplant often means a second chance at life.
Improved quality of life. For some an organ transplant means no longer having to be dependent on costly routine treatments to survive. It allows many recipients to return to a normal lifestyle. For others an eye or tissue transplant means the ability to see again or the recovery of mobility and freedom from pain.
3. For Donors and Their Families
he ability to comfort grieving families. It is always difficult to lose a loved one. Many grieving families of organ donors can take comfort in the fact that their loss may help to save or improve the lives of others.
The power to save lives. Registering to be an organ donor is a charitable act that costs nothing. It allows a donor to save up to eight lives through organ donation and to save or improve the lives of up to 50 recipients through tissue and eye donation.
C. Common myths about organ donation
1. Myth 1: You can’t be an organ donor if you are very young or very old. Age won’t keep you from becoming a donor.
a.young Donors: If you are under 18 years old consider that:
You can decide to donate your organs and tissues.
It’s important for young people to donate because children need organ transplants too.
Your parents will need to give their consent before you’re able to register.
b. Older Donors: You’re never too old to decide to become a donor. Your organs and tissues will be evaluated at the time of death to determine their suitability for donation.
2. Myth 2: Doctors don’t work with the same urgency to save your life if they know you’re an organ donor.
Many people are concerned that if they sign up to be an organ donor they won’t get the same level of care should they end up in a life or death situation. However this is not true. Your doctor is obligated to have one singular aim: to save your life.
3. Myth 3: If you are a registered donor a doctor might declare you dead before it’s appropriate.
This is a common myth that scares many people out of registering to donate. However the opposite is actually true. Organ donors are given more tests to determine official death than those patients who haven’t agreed to organ donation.
4. Myth 4: Most religions don’t condone organ donation.
Most major religions allow organ donation. A few of the religions that support the practice are:
Catholicism.
Lutheran Church.
Mormonism.
Judaism.
Episcopal Church.
Presbyterian Church.
If you are unsure of whether organ donation is consistent with your faith you may wish to speak with a religious leader for clarification.
5. Myth 5: If you donate organs or tissues you can’t have an open-casket funeral.
Organ and tissue donation does not keep you from having an open-casket funeral if that’s your preference. Because donors’ bodies are clothed for burial you won’t see signs of the donation.
Care is also taken to ensure that:
Any signs of bone and skin donation are minimal.
Any signs of donation aren’t visible once the body is placed in the casket.
D. Statistics on organ transplant (Drew Jamieson)
1.Transplant recipient age – Top 3 2016
42.4% 50-64 yrs
22.4% 35-49 yrs
18.5% 65+ yrs
2. Organ donations by percentage – Top 3 1988 – Current
59% kidney
21.5% Liver
9.6% Heart
3. Transplants by donor type – 2012-2016
(80.38%) 121475 deceased donor transplants
(19.62%) 29635 living donor transplants
E. Success rate and stories
1. U.S. transplants exceeded 30000 for the first time. This was 5% increase from 2014 to 2015.
a. 2005 U.S. transplants 28100
b. 2010 U.S. transplants 28600
c. 2015 U.S. transplants 30973
2. United States has 26 organ donors per million people. However Spain has 35.3 organ donors per million people which is the highest organ donation rate of any country in the world.
3. U.S. Transplant performed from 1988 to 2015.
One donor can save eight lives. One person can donate up to 8 life saving organs; heart 2 lungs liver pancreas 2 kidneys intestines.
a. Kidney 242294
b. Liver 128619
c. Heart 60091
d. Lung 29027
e. Kidney Pancreas 20667
f. Pancreas 7916
g. Intestine 2496
h. Heart Lung 1168
III. Recommendation
To sum up more and more people need to take action to become a organ donor and save more peoples lives.