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Organ Donation Myths Essay

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Organ donation myths have been around for a long time. These types of myths have stopped people from being organ donors as well as stopping families from letting there loved one receive a needed organ transplant. These myths are one of the main reasons for the organ shortage in the United States today. While some people decide to save another humans life some do not because of these myths surrounding organ donation. One person has the opportunity to save up to fifty lives just by deciding to be an organ donor and doing so would help with the organ shortage in the United States.
One myth that stops somebody from being an organ donor is the belief that the family will be charged extra too allow their loved one to be an organ donor (Steve …show more content…

The procedure that most hospitals use to determine to use people as organ donors is from someone that is declared brain dead (D'Alessandro). Most hospitals do not actually use organs from people that have died from sudden cardiac death because the organs are not a vital as from a patient that has been declared brain dead ( (D'Alessandro). A patient is considered brain dead when their brain function has quit working permanently and the term brain dead is the legal term that is used for someone that is dead (Congressman Jim McDermott). Families are educated when being told that their loved one is brain dead and that the machines the hear and see are they only thing that is working, that it is not actually their loved one breathing that they hear and see (Nancy Valko).The mention of organ donation usually does not even occur until it has been determined by the medical team that the patient is brain dead and the discussion with the family to end life support has been done with the family by the physician ( (D'Alessandro). A third myth is that some people that are organ donors will not be able to view their family and friends in an open casket funeral (Steve Rudich). People that believe this want to be able too see their loved one at the funeral and be able to mourn and give a proper good-bye but fear of their loved one being mutilated and not

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