Neal Shusterman's Unwind: The Bill Of Life

Today we are in great need of a solution to solve the problem of the shortage of human organs available for transplant. The website for Donate Life America estimates that in the United States over 100 people per day are added to the current list of over 100,000 men, women, and children that are waiting for life-saving transplants. Sadly enough, approximately 18 people a day on that list die just because they cannot outlive the wait for the organ that they so desperately need to survive. James Burdick, director of the Division of Transplantation for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services confirms, “The need for organ transplants continues to grow and this demand continues to outpace the supply of transplantable organs”. The

Since the first successful kidney transplant in 1954, the procedure has evolved from a risky experimental procedure to a relatively safe and standard procedure. Since then, doctors have been consistently raising the bar and have had success with numerous organ transplants, including hearts, lungs, livers, skin and even full facial transplants. Organs can be donated from the obvious, a deceased person, or from a cadaveric donor (someone who is declared brain dead) or from live donors. The transplantable organs from a live donor include the kidney, part of the lung and liver, and part of the eye, the cornea. The donor organs

One person can give life to as many as eight people through organ donation, and enhance the lives of up to fifty people through cornea and tissue donation.

An organ donation consists of the removal of organs and tissue from a donor and then transplanting them into a person who is in desperate need of an organ. The majority of transplants occur when the donor is deceased, in situations where the donor is alive they may give one of their kidneys or part of their liver to a patient. Around 1,600 Australians are waiting for a life-changing transplant. Waiting for an organ can be up to weeks or months, meaning that many people past away waiting for a transplant.

Currently a shortage is occurring between the supply of viable organs collected from living donors and from the deceased and the demand required from those on the waiting list. Organs that can be provided from living donors include Kidneys, liver segments, some of your lung and Pancreas but of all the organs that greatest shortage that exists is

The human body is amazing in the fact that our organs are specialized. Each performs a specific role in order to increase efficiency within the body. Our specialized organs give us the ability to function and live. If just one out of our 78 organ is no longer able to perform its necessary action, something else needs to do it in place of the organ - usually a machine. Quality of life when hooked up to a machine performing crucial functions can be poor, and this is where organ transplants can help greatly. The organs of just one person can save up to eight lives and improve the lives of over 60. Major organs such as the heart and liver are essential to live. Therefore, when they are transplanted into patients, it is often a life-saving procedure that gives the recipient a second chance at life. Other organs such as

The medical industry had been achieving more in the stage of medical advancements, though they are still in the early phase. Artificial organs have been one of those achievements. Although they have achieved such, artificial organs are not perfect. Most doctors as well as patients would prefer to replace a dying organ with a compatible human organ, rather than with an artificial or animal organ. Yet due to a there being less organs donated than recipients, artificial and animal organs are becoming more common in transplants. Most of this issue is because people are unaware of how organ donation works, the organs that can be donated, how many people are in need, and the advancements that have happened in the field. Organ donation saves hundreds of lives every year, but many lives are recklessly lost due to a shortage of organ donors.

An average of 16 people die in Europe each day without getting the organ they need to survive. 22 people die each day in the United States without getting the organ they need, too. All of these people who die are waiting for organs such like a liver, heart, and other organs that will help keep them alive. The scientists looked at the statistics and wanted to start to develop new organs and body parts to save the patients that are waiting for them. The scientists thought they could start by growing them in a laboratory and make them out of stem cells. They have been struggling with the development of the organs and the progress has been slowed. Other scientists have another theory in how to create a fully functioning organ. They think that everyone should let nature take over and let evolutions happen. Evolutions has helped cells adapt to outside environments and turned our cells into complex molecules that help us survive. The scientists also think that they could use an animal's’ kidney, liver, lungs, heart, and other organs that are useful to keep ourselves alive. Those organs can come from animals, like pigs, because they have somewhat the same kind of organs we have. The only problem that can occur during the operation is that, when you use transfer the heart from a pig, or another animal, our immune system will reject the transplant. People who have been studying about growing human

You can also be a living donor, you can donate partial kidney, partial lung, pancreas, intestine, bone marrow ,skin tissue,

For organ donation after death, a medical assessment will be done to determine what organs can be donated.

Web MD states, an organ transplant is the surgical removal of a healthy organ from one person, alive or deceased, and transplanting the organ into another person whose organ is failing. Often an organ transplant is the last effort to save and individuals life. This is why it is so important for individuals to become organ donors. Not all organs in the body are transplantable. (Organ Transplants,16) The most common organs that get transplanted are: heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. Tissue such as bones, corneas, and skin can also be used from organ donors.

When contemplating to donate, many different organs can be donated. These are only some of the possible organs that can be donated. A heart valve, intestines, bones, and tendons (“What Organs Can Be”). Some other organs are the kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, small bowel, and the pancreas (“Frequently Asked Questions”). And finally bone marrow, and connective tissues can be donated (“Organ Donation and Transplantation”). When a person is living and they want to donate, they can donate one kidney, one lung, a portion of their liver, a pancreas, and part of their intestine (“What Can be Donated”). When someone passes away and is a deceased donor, they can donate every thing listed above, and not just a portion of one (“What Can Be Donated”).

Organ donation is a sacrifice that can touch many people through one person’s unselfish gift. Granted that gift most often comes after a tragic loss of a loved one. As the bearer of three functioning kidneys, I have always considered organ donation to be the expected norm. But today, the focus will be to enlighten you on the reasons to consider organ donation. Organ donations are needed for every age group, race, and ethnic groups. Each person should take the opportunity to extend the gift of life to another individual through organ donation.

If somebody wanted to donate something while they were alive, instead of waiting till they die, there are also some organs that can be donated while they are living. While living people can donate their kidney, part of their pancreas, part of a lung, part of a liver, part of the intestine, bone marrow, and blood (Organ and Tissue Donation). Most people who donate organs or tissues while they are alive donate the organ or tissue to a family member or friend, but there are some cases where they donate it to someone they don’t know. Some of the organs can regenerate themselves and some can’t. If somebody donates and organ while they are alive that doesn’t regenerate itself, they are still able to survive without it. For example somebody can donate a whole kidney and be okay, because they have another one and

As of November 30th, 2017, 116,080 people formed the organ transplant waiting list. On average, twenty people on this list will die today. The number of people that need an organ transplant continues to grow; every ten minutes a new name is added to the list. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “only 3 in 1,000 people die in a way that allows for organ donation” (“Organ Donation Statistics”). In order for a deceased person to give organs, the organs must still be alive to donate. Organ transplantation improved greatly over the last century, but with an insufficient amount of organs available, it limits breakthroughs. In essence, new methods need to replace the unavailable organs. These methods drastically improve the process of organ transplantation, and in the future, the overall humans well-being.