Organ Donation Save Lives

Everyone should be an organ donor. Organ donation saves lives. The life that is saved could be your own or a loved one. Millions of people are already registered as organ donors. Everyone else should join these “heroes” by signing up to be a donor. According to the National Foundation for Transplants, “there are more than 121,000 patients that are waiting for their lifesaving organ or tissue transplant. And every 11 minutes, another name is added to the list, but only 45% of Americans are registered as an organ donor” (National Foundation for Transplants). These are not just numbers. They are loved ones with lives that can be saved by a donation of an organ. They are mothers, fathers, bothers, and sisters. It may be someone you work with or

Department of Health & Human Services. They also report that in 2014 there were 29,532 people who received organ transplants (The Need is Real). This number includes transplants for both deceased and living donors. The sad thing is that nearly 20 people on the list die everyday while waiting (National Insitutes of Health). One donor can save up to eight lives, just imagine the number of lives saved if more people signed up as donors.

In 1968, the first law was passed regarding donations of organs. Since then many other laws, amendments, and acts have been passed to define organ donation. These laws are to protect the donor and to assure the donation process was fair and non prejudice in any way. In the 1980’s laws and acts were expanded to further expand the laws defining organ transplant. Most recently, there has been legislation to improve the access for those needing

As a child Amy was a very active child. She was involved in church and school activities. In her teens she became very ill. Amy saw all types of specialist but her medical problems went undiagnosed for several years. By the time she was diagnosed with a diseased liver she was already in liver failure. In 1993, at the age of sixteen Amy was placed on the liver transplant list. Fortunately, for Amy she received her liver transplant later the same year. Amy has spent her life, sharing her story and the story of others about how important it is to be an organ donor. She is a mentor to children with similar circumstances. It was an honor to be present in 2013 as she celebrated twenty years as a transplant survivor. Not only did she share her story about her journey, but we got to meet the family of the person she received her liver from. This year Amy had two more milestones, she married and is now expecting her first