A solution to nation's shortage of organs
More than half the people who need an organ transplant in the United States will die before they get one. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate 20,000 transplantable organs every year. More than 6,000 of our neighbors suffer and die every year as a result.
There is a simple solution to the organ shortage -- give organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. About 70 percent of the organs transplanted in the United States go to people who haven't agreed to donate their own organs.
Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. They do this through a form of directed donation that is legal in all 50 states and under federal law. Anyone can join for free at www.lifesharers.com. LifeSharers has 3,241 members, including 130 members in North Carolina.
Dave Undis
Nashville, Tenn.
The writer is executive director, LifeSharers.
Comments (3)
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http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/rm/2001/3792.htm
Posted on October 5, 2005 6:42 AM
hugh,
Maybe THAT'S why China is buying so much of our national debt...so they can claim our bodies in payment so they can harvest our organs to sell.
(tongue-in-cheek, of course)
Posted on October 5, 2005 8:44 AM
I am a donor. I did not make the decision based on the fact that I think that it makes me more deserving then anyone else in a case where I would need one. Quite simply, I believe you should never give to receive. Being a organd donor does not make me any more deserving then someone elses mother, sister or daughter to receive a life saving donation. They ahve criteria in place based on need, and I will follow that. I will never, ever sign up for anything that places a label such as "I deserve the organ more because I would give up one of my own" on something as precious as organ donation. Somehow, I don't think God would look kindly upon that.
Posted on October 5, 2005 9:27 AM