Benefits Of Receiving A Kidney

“Of the more than 101,000 people in the United States who need a kidney, fewer than 17,000 will receive a transplant this year.” Every day people die from not receiving the transplants they need and every day more people are added to the transplant list. “Tragically, more than 7,000 of the people waiting for a kidney either died or were dropped from the list because they had become too sick to qualify for a transplant.” The majority of the donors in the United States are deceased at the time that their organs are harvested. Society is just not donating their organs, even when we can live a perfectly healthy and happy

My grandfather was a lucky one, though he had to wait 5 years until his luck was fully granted. He was diagnosed with sever kidney failure, spent 5 years on dialysis, then was blessed with the option of getting a kidney… twice. Though the first time he had to reject because of the health of his wife-after her death, he was called once more with the option of having a kidney transplant. However, my grandfather is an exception, most people do not get called once, let alone twice, for the option of receiving a kidney. As of October 25th 2013, about 100,000 people were waiting for a new kidney in the United States. (SCU) Every day, 18 people from that list die along with 10 others being added. As of October 25th, 2013, out of the 100,000 people waiting for a new kidney while only about 10,000 received one; that means 90,000 people are either rolled over to the next year, or die waiting. The marvelousness of kidney donations, compared to other organs donations, is that each person is born with two and can sustain a healthy life with just one; simple facts such as this is what has driven the black market kidney trade to flourish. (CBSNEWS) However, if this is the case then why aren’t more people donating? Is it because they are not getting something in return? Why donate for free when someone on the black market will pay 10,000 dollars? The main arguments against black market organ donations, not limited to kidneys, is that people do not know the risks- yet if someone is

“Kidneys for Sale” by Miller, Benjamin, and North is about the transplant donor system. It is explained in the beginning of the paper how it is against the law to sell or pay for organs, but it is legal to pay the surgeons to perform the transplant and the hospital to make profit on the operation room used. It is also legal for people to sell their sperm, eggs, and even their blood, but illegal to sell their organs. One can receive an organ as a gift. For example, if their parent decides to donate their kidney to their child, then that is acceptable. However, if one does not have anyone in their lives willing to donate an organ to them, then they are left no choice but to apply to a wait list. There are several waiting lists. Due to

The demand for organ donors far exceeds the supply of available organs. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) … there are more than 77,000 people in the U.S. who are waiting to receive an organ (Organ Selling 1). The article goes on to say that the majority of those on the national organ transplant waiting list are in need of kidneys, an overwhelming 50,000 people. Although financial gain in the U.S and in most countries is illegal, by legalizing and structuring a scale for organ donor monetary payment, the shortage of available donors could be reduced. Legalizing this controversial issue will help with the projected forecast for a decrease in the number of people on the waiting list, the ethical concerns around benefitting from organ donation, and to include compensation for the organ donor.

Every day, numerous people across the world stop their lives for four hours to get hooked up to a dialysis machine at a hospital nearby. This machine helps to remove harmful wastes, toxins, excess salt, and water from their body because unfortunately their body cannot do so for them. These people wait on a list until they can one day receive a kidney transplant because kidney failure has resulted in their body not being able to clean their blood properly. More than 300,000 Americans have kidney failure and use dialysis daily and the statistics are only continuing to grow. I am going to argue that the best to solve this problem is to legalize the regulated sale of organs to better society as a

In order to be eligible for an organ donation list, you must be in end-stage organ failure. This means that one of the patient’s organs has not been working for a while and it is impossible for them to live without some kind of help or transplant. For many patients, end-stage organ failure can come as a shock even if they have known for months that one of their organs was failing. With kidneys, this means the patients are put on dialysis if they are not already. Dialysis is a process that mechanically helps to do the things that the kidneys normally do. This can include filtering waste and toxins out of the body. Many organs can be transplanted from living and dead donors, including kidneys, heart, lung,

A new system that provides kidney donors with compensation would correct many of the current system’s problems, and increase the donor pool. The new system would allow donors to sell their kidney at a set price. Kidneys would go to recipients in the same way they do now; through the waiting list, whether the patient is rich or poor. Compensation comes from the recipient’s insurance, such as Medicare. To insure the safety of the reciepient and donor, every donor would be medically and

MacKay argues that it will be a win-win situation and that it will benefit both the buyer and seller. In the illegal kidney trade, everyone gains except the donor. With a regulated system; it would benefit all of those in need. MacKay tells us, a regulated system would make sure that the seller and the doctor are fairly compensated and the buyer also is protected with a law (159-160). Right now, on the kidney black market, buyers often put themselves in very perilous circumstances. Because

In the U.K. kidneys are viewed as market inalienable, in other words the good cannot be transferred between agents that involves an exchange of resources and can only be provided as a gift (gift alienable).

In the article Organ Sales Will Save Lives, Joanna MacKay states pertaining to the middle man, “In the illegal kidney trade, surgeons collect most of the buyer’s money in return for putting their careers on the line. The brokers arranging the procedure also receive a modest cut, typically around ten percent.” This situation is usually the case. If the government would legalize the selling of organs, and set up a program, everyone could make money from this and the patient would receive the organ they so desperately need. MacKay also states, “If the entire practice were legalized, more of the money could be directed towards the person who needs it most, the seller.” People will continue to purchase and sell organs off the black market, so legalizing it and making it a government ran organization, everyone could gain from the transplant. One may argue that doing so would exploit people who live in poverty because they would not be able to afford the transplant. They often fear that people would rather sell their organs rather than donate them. Sadly, this is usually the case. According to organdonor.gov, “An average of 18 people die each day waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs.” This may not benefit everyone in need of a transplant, but it cannot do more harm than

Starting off, the United States has a problem with organs being sold to the Black Market. As Michael Shafer says in his news article, “Black market organ transfer is the consequence of

In the United States there are 122,365 people waiting for organs to be donated; of those 100,218, are waiting for a kidney transplant. The transplant list is so long that some patients wait up to 10 years to receive a kidney. These patients wait in agony for a kidney they may never receive. An article by Barbara Mantel affirms that the most common reasons for kidney transplant include: Hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, kidney stones, Inherited Kidney disease, and inflammatory effects of drug therapy for other diseases. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services records show that in 2012 there were 30% more deceased Kidney donors than living donors. The

There seems to be a catch-22 in which those who do not need kidney transplants and those who are poor or unable to access transplants easily are the ones most worried about the morality of paying for a kidney. Furthermore, those who pay for a kidney seem to justify it by either claiming: that selling a kidney is exploitative, that those who sell their kidneys will be reward in the afterlife, or by stating that they are helping the poor/helping donors after the surgery (Hamdy, 2012). There are also statements that claim that kidney donors leave the hospital quickly because they incredibly healthy (Hamdy, 2012). Essentially those in power have created a narrative that obscures their exploitation of marginalized individuals. By cloaking their purchase of a kidney as reverse exploitation, they obscure the reality of the situation; further they obscure the reality of a system that allows for the exploitation of the poor while preventing them access to organs when they need them (Hamdy, 2012). This situation reminds me of access to abortion in the U.S., in which abortion is deemed as amoral, blocking public access to funds. As Angela Davis writes, “"By 1977 the passage of the Hyde Amendment in Congress had mandated the withdrawal of federal funding for abortions, causing many state legislatures to follow suit. Black, Puerto Rican, Chicana and Native American Indian

As this person waits, the more tempting the black market organs look to seek out. A person who is waiting for a kidney can wait up to 5 years for an organ, and in other states up to 10 years for a kidney from a deceased donor (Living Kidney Donor Network). As they wait for these organs, up to 80 percent of these patients are on kidney dialysis (Living kidney Donor Network). The longer a person waits on kidney dialysis the less likely the transplant will save their lives. The quicker they’re given a new kidney, their live expectancy will almost double than when they wait on dialysis (Living Kidney Donor Network). Dialysis is an extremely expensive treatment as is, the country would be saving money, paying a flat fee for an organ rather than waiting for an organ donation, while on dialysis for months or even years. In addition to, there would be more evaluations for both parties involved. For the donor, there would be evaluations ensuring that their organ can be donated and it’s safe for the surgery to take place. For the recipient, it would ensure the organ would be a right fit, that the organ wouldn’t be prone to rejection, that they aren’t receiving a weak or infected organ. All of which isn’t guaranteed in the unregulated system in place now. The longer a person waits on kidney dialysis the less likely the effectiveness of a transplant. This may lead to an organ failing even if it is a successful transplant.

In the United States “There are currently 123,378 people on the organ transplant wait list and of that number, approximately 21 will die today.” (McAndrews et al., 2016, pg. 182). People all over the world is waiting patiently for an organ donor for their loved ones or for themselves. Organ sales is an on-going process in the United States, as well in other countries. However, in the United States and some countries it is illegal for a person to sell their organs to anyone for money. Organ sales is when someone is selling their organs for money, and it is either to help them with their living situation, such as paying their bills, and putting food on their table. Organ sales have been a big problem in society, because individuals that are living in poverty in poor countries gets taken advantage of because of their living situation. These individuals will sell their organs to help get themselves or their family out of poverty or help with any depths they owe. In the United States, Arab Emirates wanted to sell his kidney in-order-to help his family of two wives and six children living at their grandparent’s home. Another case is in India, “The Tribune, India reported that a 42-year-old Nepalese man named Man Dhoj Tamang sold one of his kidneys to pay off his debts and buy a piece of land.” (Bakdash, 2006, para. 3). Organ sales in the United States are immoral, because they target the individuals living in poverty, causes organ or human trafficking, and creates a black market