Positive Aspects Of Organ Donation

A continuing problem exists in trying to close the gap between the supply and demand of procured organs in the United States. An increase in the amount of transplant operations performed has risen significantly over time. As a result, a new name is added to the national waiting list every 16 minutes (Duan, Gibbons, & Meltzer, 2000). It is estimated that about 100,000 individuals are on the national transplant waiting list at all times (Munson, 2012). Something needs to be done before these numbers get completely out of control. Despite the introduction of Gift of Life and many other educational efforts, the United

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

For over 13 year I have worked in healthcare and I have seen multiple patients die from organ failure as they waited on the transplant list. I’ve seen patients lose their quality of life as they sit in hospitals for weeks and months at a time as they waited for a kidney transplant. I also know people who have donated the organs of their loved ones and were blessed to know that their loss was the beginning of another person’s life.

Now that organ transplantation has become a popular medical solution to end-stage organ failure, about every 10 minutes another person in need of an

Recent medical advances have greatly enhanced the ability to successfully transplant organs and tissue. Forty-five years ago the first successful kidney transplant was performed in the United States, followed twenty years later by the first heart transplant. Statistics from the United Network for Organ Sharing (ONOS) indicate that in 1998 a total of 20,961 transplants were performed in the United States. Although the number of transplants has risen sharply in recent years, the demand for organs far outweighs the supply. To date, more than 65,000 people are on the national organ transplant waiting list and about 4,000 of them will die this year- about 11 every day- while waiting for a chance to extend their life through organ donation

The United States has a significant shortage of organ donors, and therefore every year numerous people die waiting on transplant lists. However, to get on the transplant list and to receive an organ is tricky. To be placed on the transplant list you have to be sick, but not too sick. A multitude of people die each year as a result of becoming too sick and then ineligible to receive an organ. Additionally, in order to respect the generous gift of donation organs typically go to patients who are believed to do well. Most people would agree that the sickest peoples should get the organs, but that is not always the case. It is my hope that in the future there will be a rise in organ donors and organs available to transplant. Therefore, there would no longer be waiting lists or having to decide which patients get to receive a transplant and which patients have to remain on the waiting list. Organ donation is an extremely important process because it has the ability to give those at death’s door another chance at

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.

This field of study is quickly growing, but the people waiting for organs is also growing. Those studying organ transplant have said that organ donation is “spoken as a gift of life.”(Shaw, 2015) The waiting line for organs is growing because not as many people have been donating their organs. Every ten minutes someone is added to the waiting list and, on average, 22 people die every day from not getting the organ they need. Around 118,454 people need an organ to save their lives. Out of those 118,454 people, only 75,919 people are active on the organ waiting list. In 2017 about 2,801 organ transplants have been performed so far. They took records starting from January 1, to March 3, 2017. The waiting list has not declined over the years. In fact, it has rose from about 80,000 people in 2003, and was at 120,000 people in 2015. The amount of transplants per year has stayed about even from 2003 to 2015. In 2003, it was about 25,000 performed and in 2015, there was close to 30,000 performed. So even though there has been many advancements in technology and medicine, the amount of donors from 2003 to 2015 has only been about 18,000 per year. When someone donates one organ, it can save up to eight lives. In 2016, the amount of people who need an organ is 33,500. This is the highest amount ever recorded and is the new record. On March 5, 2017, there has been 98,115 people waiting on a kidney. 47

Currently, there are over 100,000 people on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list for organ transplantation (2012, Transplant Trends). Only 26, 246 transplantations occurred between January and November of 2011, (UNOS, 2012, Transplant Trends). There is a huge contrast in the number of people needing organs and the number of organs actually available for transplantation. This lack of organs creates a serious dilemma regarding how to increase the supply of organs for transplantation. So far, many of the efforts to increase organ donation have focused on the procurement from deceased donors;

Every day, 20 people die because they are unable to receive a vital organ transplant that they need to survive. Some of these people are on organ donation lists and some of them are not. The poor and minorities are disproportionately represented among those who do not receive the organs they need. In the United States alone, nearly 116,000 people are on waiting lists for vital organ transplants. Another name is added to this list every 10 minutes. This paper will argue that organ donation should not be optional. Every person who dies, or enters an irreversible vegetative state with little or no brain function, should have his or her organs-more specifically, those among the organs that are suitable for donation-harvested. A single healthy donor who has died can save up to eight lives (American Transplant Foundation).

Every two hours someone dies waiting for an organ transplant. 18 people will die each day waiting for an organ. One organ donor can save up to 8 lives. . THE NEED IS REAL

Main Point 1: Organ donation is such a simple and selfless action one takes to save the lives of others. Now much of what we will we discuss, also applies to living donation, but we will focus on deceased donation. The number of patients waiting for organs far exceeds the number of people who have registered to become organ donors. According to UNOS, every 10 minutes, a new name is added to the national transplant list. 20 people die everyday from the lack of available organs. Just one deceased person, can save up to 8 lives, 9 lives if you split the liver. Now if you donate tissues, you can improve the lives of up to 50 people! The need for organ donation is growing every minute. You can see why we need to register.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, every ten minutes a name is added to the National Transplant waiting list. As of December 1, 2015, there are 122,477 people that need a lifesaving operation and are on the transplant waiting list. While on the waiting list, there is an average of 22 people that die every day. So far, only 23,134 transplants have been done in 2015. (U.S. Depart.of Health and Human Services) This incredibly low number of transplants is why more people should become organ donors. Choosing to become an organ donor provides the opportunity to save up to eight lives and improve the quality of life for many others with tissue donation. An organ donor can also provide comfort to the grieving family: the loss of the loved one will be helping others to live. Becoming an organ donor is much easier than many think. The decision can literally be done in just minutes.

Thesis Statement: The need is constantly growing for organ donors and it is very simple to be an organ donor when you die.

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.