by Michelle Sumner

C.L.A.S.S. Notes, Spring 1997 -- Many people die needlessly because of the shortage of available organs in this country. The number of deaths could be reduced if more people knew the facts about organ donation and understood how urgently donated organs are needed.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there are currently 51,422 people in the United States who are in need of organ transplants. One person is added to the transplant list every 18 minutes. Last year, 3,916 people died while waiting for organ transplants. This averages to about 10 preventable deaths every day.

There is a very hypocritical view of organ donation in America. According to a 1995 Gallup poll, 90% of Americans support the idea of organ donation and transplantation. However, less than one third of Americans actually participate in organ donation programs.

Because of the organ shortage, a person cannot receive a transplant until he or she becomes the patient with the most dire need in a particular area. This means a person may be put on the transplant list but may have to wait months, or sometimes years, before receiving an organ. If more organs were available, hospitals would be able to transplant patients sooner, while they were still somewhat healthy, thus increasing the patient’s chance for survival.

The cause of the organ shortage in America is simple: Not enough people choose to give the gift of life and become organ donors.

There are two main reasons why people don’t participate in organ donation programs. The first reason is that people are misinformed. Many people wrongly believe that if they are in an accident and the hospital knows they are an organ donor the doctors will not try to save them (1). Some people falsely believe their religion does not support organ donations(2). Some people wrongly believe they are not the right age to donate(3). Finally, some people fear their body will be mutilated in some way during organ recovery(4).

The second reason people don’t agree to organ donation is that they are uniformed. They simply do not know they posses the power to save lives and they don’t know about the thousands of lives that could be saved or improved by organ and tissue transplantation.

I would like to tell you about Allen, a special friend of mine. Allen was one of the sweetest, happiest children I have ever known. His smile brightened up entire rooms and his heart was made of pure gold. He loved to lick the frosting off his cupcakes. But his cheerful disposition masked a lifetime of pain and suffering. Allen was born with a liver disease known as biliary atresia. He spent most of his life in and out of hospitals and surgeries.

Eventually Allen’s liver deteriorated so badly that he was placed on the liver transplant waiting list. A liver transplant was the ray of hope through the dark clouds that surrounded Allen’s life. A transplant would not only save his life, but it would give him a new one; a life free from hospitals, IV’s, and suffering.

After being put on the list Allen quickly became sicker and sicker. The more critical his condition got, the further up the transplant list he moved and the closer he got to the next available liver. His family was frantic. They knew their child could be saved but they were unable to reach that savior. Each day that passed without a transplant Allen seemed to slip farther away.

That ray of light, that savior, never reached Allen. He died before a donated organ could be found. His future was robbed from him before it even began. Allen was only three years old. He was never given a chance, a chance that could have been given to him by an organ donor.

I ask you today to give the ultimate gift, the gift of life, by becoming an organ donor. I know this may be difficult because it involves dealing with your own mortality, but the choice and the power to save a life is yours. I have seen firsthand the miracles of transplantation. My own brother, Christopher, was successfully transplanted with a donated liver more than 10 years ago. Today he is a healthy, active, normal 14-year-old. I thank God every day for the family who selflessly gave their child’s liver to my brother and gave him a whole new life.

Unfortunately, I have also seen far too many tragedies like Allen’s. Tragedies that could have been prevented. Please sign an organ donor card and carry it with your driver’s license. Tell your family about your decision to be an organ donor. Give the gift of life.

Michelle Sumner is a freshman at the College of the Canyons in Valencia, CA. This essay is adapted from a speech she gave for a speech class. 

THE FACTS

(1) Fact: Organs and tissues are recovered only after all possible efforts to save the donor’s life have failed.

(2) Fact: All major religions support organ donation.

(3) Fact: People of all ages, from newborns to senior citizens can be organ donors.

(4) Fact: Donation does not change the body’s appearance.