Truth About Organ Donation example essay topic

The Importance of Organ Donation Each day approximately 6,300 people die and what makes this haunting is that presently there are 83,513 people waiting for organs to be donated, yet each day 17 people die because they do not receive a transplant (web stats. html). These statistics show that people who are waiting for organ transplants have a good chance at being saved and get what they need. The sad truth is though, because of the lack of people willing to donate organs, many people will continue to wait for organs to save their lives. "Waiting lists of patients for organ transplants become longer as the need for transplant able organs increases" (Sheehy 1). Think back to how someone might feel when a close family member or friend dies. With out argument, the feeling one experiences when going through a time like that is one of the most painful experiences.

The feeling when one gets when they know that they will never again see the person you loved so much, never hold them, touch them, experience their presence. It is a horrible feeling. What many do not realize is simply by donating organs, you can help someone else not have to deal with that pain. Organ donation is when someone who has died, has previously given permission for their organs to be taken from their body and transplanted into someone else's who because of some sort of medical condition, can not survive off of their own.

At the time of death one's heart, intestine, kidneys, liver, lung, pancreas, pancreas islet cell, heart valves, bone, skin, corneas, veins, cartilage, and tendons can all be used for transplantation. Choosing to donate organs is beneficial to many people, morally the right thing to do when you pass on and, is also one of the most important ways for survival of many people. Organ donation is often perceived with doubt because many people do not know the truth. There are many myths out about the donating of organs that cause many people to opt not to. What many do not realize is the truth about organ donation.

The body of the donor after the surgery is not mangled up and is presentable for the funeral. Organ donation is ethical and should not be looked down upon. Organ donating is there to save lives, not to hurt anyone. Many people think that they should be paid or given something in return for donating their organs, which is a viable idea, but most people should want to do it because of the benefit it has for someone who is dying. "We are not talking about people selling organs; we are talking about people who are dead and whose organs are available for salvage" (Riddick 1). There is a huge shortage of organs, but if people were really educated about this topic, they would see the many benefits of this important endeavor.

When someone is pronounced dead, and not until then, the doctors will then present the choice for donation. Since one is dead and can't give their consent, it is marked on their driver's license whether they are a donor or not. "Unfortunatly, less than one-fifth of the american people actually sign a donor card" (Fentiman). If yes, their organs should be donated, but a problem that is arising more and more is that families of the deceased are overriding the choice of the dead, and saying no to donation". More than half of the eligible donors refuse to donate their recently decreased family member's organs because they don't know how the decreased felt about organ donation" (MacPherson). This brings about a lot of debate.

If the person who has passed on has chosen to give a gift of life, something so incredibly important, their families should not have the right to overturn their decision about their own body. This is an issue that is causing the loss of many donations. "Return good, for evil, life for death" as said by Reg and Maggie Green, who donated their son Nicholas' organs after he was shot and killed at the age of seven. This is a perfect example of how to turn the harshness of death into something good. As the Green's said " someone should have the future Nicholas lost". Not only did one person have a future to look forward to, Nicholas' organs went to seven different people.

Many often feel when a loved one dies it is evil that they are being put through those feelings. Instead of making another person go through that evil, turn it in to good. Ease the pain of death by bringing new life to someone who has been suffering. It is one of the simplest and most effective ways to help erase the pain one feels and bring happiness back into their life. For those who do not believe in organ donation, it is mostly because they believe in the myths. They don't know any better because they have never been educated on the topic.

A view seen by those who disagree with donating organs is that when someone dies, they are to be let alone to rest and go to eternal life, their next life, or whatever their religious view bring them to. The mind and body though are separate. The mind which carries everything the person was will leave the body and go to its eternal destination. The actually body will be buried or incarnated still looking the same so that the traditional funeral events can still take place. When doctors and medical staff remove organs, they are very cautious about not affecting the look of the person. They replace the bones with rods to maintain the rigidity.

They will use sponges and bandages to hold the shape of the removed muscles and tendons. All to help the donor looking just like they did before the surgery. Unlike many believe, one can still have an open casket funeral when one donates. Another is that there are already plenty of people who are donating organs so they do not feel that theirs is necessarily needed. Although there are donors, there are many more diseases and sicknesses. They also believe that they may receive "long-term problems from the donor" (Piccoli).

Also because of the increase in technology many more people are surviving from these sicknesses, but still need transplants. So we are still in need of thousands of transplants at this time. Another myth is that if someone has a donor card, then doctors will not take every possible effort in to saving them, just so that they can have their organs (web). This is also a lie. Doctors do not even ask about or know if one is a donor until after death has been declared (web). Along with that, people fear they doctors will just take them off life support so that they can have their organs.

If someone is brain dead, then they are gone forever, life support will keep their organs okay so that they can be donated if chosen, but they will never take someone off, just to get their organs. People believe that celebrities and famous people get preferential treatment (web). This is also untrue, time though, is a very important factor, so matches are just made locally first to the most critically needed patient. Other factors are blood type and medical issues of that nature (web). It doesn't matter who the person is, how rich or poor, famous or not.

Along with that people believe that minorities are having to wait longer in the system. This is also just a myth. No consideration is ever even given to what race, gender, ethnicity, etc. Whoever needs it most due to medical stability and is located closest, will receive the donated organ (Ada to 4). A last myth to be mentioned is that people think it is completely against all religions.

The fact of the matter is that the only religion against it is Orthodox Judaism, which even now is beginning to change its views. As pointed out by Diana Cater, a transplant coordinator, "Adam gave Eve a rib- the first transplant. People see that it offers a ray of hope. By donating organs, is some way the person they loved lives on". All the facts just seem to go back to why not donate organs. As a human being you are almost morally and ethically obliged to donate you organs.

As H.E. Henson discusses", the body should be regarded as on loan to the individual from the biomass, to which the cadaver will inevitably return". If you look at it that way, there is no reason not to donate. Our body is just what holds our mind and soul while we live. It is not the body that makes us who we are, it's the person inside. The person inside should feel obligated to then return the body they "loaned" to help others out. It is the best decision to give of your body to organ donation.

As seen through the example of Nickolas Green, when you donate organs you not only save one life, but often numerous. Your body has so many vital organs and tissues that can be donated and given to many different people. For many of these people, what you donate to them, can be a matter of life or death. If they don't receive a donation soon enough, their time will run out and they will pass away. By donating organs you are giving of your body, something that will never again by seen after death. You are making the morally correct decision to help others.

It seems we are all brought up to help others and give of yourself, and what better way to do so then by donating of your organs. When you go to get your drivers licence, be sure to mark that you will donate. Put yourself in the shoes of someone waiting for a donation. They hear of people dying and yet nothing will happen for their benefit if these people don't choose to donate. Picture you husband or wife, on their death bed unless someone will donate their organs. Make the right decision to bring happiness out of death.

Do not put your organs to waste, help those in need, and choose to donate..