Organ donation shortage
When receiving a driver’s license in the United States, there is a section on the back in which it asks if the licensed driver would like to become an organ donor. Most people overlook this option. Nothing is really pushed forth for people wanting to become organ donors. Today in the U.S, thousands of people need organ transplants. Unfortunately, there is a growing shortage of donated organs. Many people die every year because there are not enough organs ready for transplant. Resulting, there is an extremely long waiting list of people hoping that they will be the next ones to get called to receive an organ. For a lot of those people, they die waiting on that list. If more people would become donors, there would be a lot more organs available for the ones in need. There have been many ideas on how to solve this problem. Rather it being an organ donor to receive an organ, some sort of point system, or financial incentives. (Calne, 2010) Offering financial incentives to potential organ donors, would solve the organ donation shortage in America.
Organ transplantation started in the mid- 1950’s with a kidney transplant between identical twins. After the successful operation, it started the idea of widespread organ donation between two participants (Calne, 2010). Today, a living volunteer can donate a kidney, half of a liver or even a lobe of a lung (Calne, 2010). The process starts by one of two ways. If the person is donating to a relative/friend, the both of them go into the doctor, and tests are done to make sure the donator’s organ is healthy, and a match for the recipient. Then the both of them would undergo surgery and the donation process would begin. If a person wants to donate to an organization to help anyone in need, they would have to go into an organization, fill out forms, go through tests at the doctors, and then undergo the surgical process (Becker, 2009).
Denny Hile, father of Debbie Rice was one
References: Becker, G. (2009). Allowing the sale of organs will increase the number of donations. Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints. Brody, J. (2007, August). The solvable problem of organ shortages. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com Calne, R How donation works. (2010). Gift of Life Michigan. Retrieved from http://www.giftoflifemichigan.org Michigan organ donor registrations surge for the third consecutive month National Kidney Foundation. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/fs_new/25factsorgdon&trans.cfm Satel, S Satel, S. (2010) Is it ever right to sell and buy human organs? Retrieved from General OneFile. Rice, D. (2009). Father dies waiting on a heart transplant. Donate Life Ohio. Retrieved from http://www.donatelifeohio.org/debbie-rice-father-died-waiting-for-a-heart-transplant.html Tabarrok, A Zoler, M. (1999). Cash rewards for organs proposed. Retrieved from Academic OneFile.