Christmas is just around the corner. I 'm sure growing up there was a toy that you just had to have. How did you feel having to wait until Christmas morning to see if you got that toy? You might have felt anxious or hopeful. Well, that is exactly how the thousands of people who are on the national waiting list for organ transplants feel every minute of every day. However, instead of waiting for a toy, they are waiting for something they literally cannot live without. I am a registered donor and know people who have had organ transplants. There is a continuously increasing need for organ donors, and it is easy to become an organ donor. Today, I hope to persuade you all to become registered donors by explaining the need for more donors, what you can donate, and how you can become a donor.
(First, why should you become a donor?)
There is a huge need for organ donors. The people who need a transplant are put on a national waiting list that is kept by the United Network for Organ Sharing, also known as UNOS. According to UNOS, there are around 120,000 people in the country currently on the waiting list for organ transplant. One person is added to that waiting list every ten minutes. That means that by the time this class ends, about seven people will have been added to the list. However, the number of individuals on the waiting list continues to grow each year, while the number of donors and transplants grows slowly, as shown in this graph made by the U.S. Department of
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
How many people sitting in this room are organ donors? Do you know what it is like to wait for something that you really need? I want you to think about the last time you really wanted something. It doesn't matter if it was as simple as a new pair of shoes, your driver's license, or a new car. You probably felt anxious, excited, or overwhelmed. What if this item was something you could not live without? That is how people who are on an organ transplant list feel. They are waiting for items that will give them a chance at a healthy life. As I stand before my fellow underclassmen at Union City High School, most of you are looking forward to getting your driver’s license. Driving is an exciting time, as I remember a couple years ago how excited I was to receive my driver’s license. When I finally passed my test and went to get my photo identification card, nobody told me that there was more to it. I was not informed that I would be asked to register as an organ donor. I was not sure of what to say or do. I want you to be educated on your options and know what your response will be when asked if you would like to be an organ donor. I intend on sharing information about the benefits of being an organ donor. I personally have strong feelings about this topic. When I was 11 years old, my grandpa received a heart transplant. It was a rough time for me and my family. I am thankful every day that my grandpa is still alive and continues to make happy memories that I will be able to
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.
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
In a world where life expectancy has increased tremendously over the last century because of new technology and medical procedures, we find humanity ever pushing the boundaries on what it can do to prevent loss of life where possible. One example is the area of organ donation and transplantation. However, unlike many other technologies or procedures which can be built, manufactured, or learned, organ transplantation requires one thing that we can’t create yet: an organ itself. Because our increased life span causes more people to require a replacement organ when theirs starts to fail, the demand has far outrun the supply and the future only looks to get worse. “Between the years 1988 and 2006 the number of transplants doubled, but the
Thesis statement: The need is constantly growing for organ donors and it is very simple to be an organ donor when you die.
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.
Organ transplantation is a medical act which involves the surgical operating by transferring or removing of an organ from one person to the other, or placing the organ of a donor into the body of a recipient for the replacement of the recipients damaged or failed organ which resulted from impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism or an act that causes someone to receive physical damage.
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
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
How do you feel when you have to wait for something that you really, really want? What if it was something you couldn’t live without? Imagine you are lying in a hospital bed and you have no choice but to impatiently wait for that one organ you and your body are depending on to survive. Many people face this struggle every day. These people are waiting on a list for their perfect match… the perfect person to be their organ donor. An organ donor is a person who has an organ, or several organs, removed in ordered to be transplanted into another person.
Organ donation is a sacrifice that can touch many people through one person’s unselfish gift. Granted that gift most often comes after a tragic loss of a loved one. As the bearer of three functioning kidneys, I have always considered organ donation to be the expected norm. But today, the focus will be to enlighten you on the reasons to consider organ donation. Organ donations are needed for every age group, race, and ethnic groups. Each person should take the opportunity to extend the gift of life to another individual through organ donation.
Every thirty minutes someone gets added to the waiting list for an organ transplant (‘Frequently Asked Questions”). Not only that, but the number of patients being added to the waiting list is growing larger than the number of donors (“Organ Donation Statistics”). Many people are in the need of some kind of organ donation, so anyone who donates can help to save many lives. Organ donation is also such a great way to give back to people. Another thing is that to donate an organ a person does not have to pay money (“Organ Donation FAQ’s”). The only part that costs money is for the funeral if they are a deceased donor (“Organ Donation FAQ’s”).
According to United Network for Organ Sharing (2010) organ donations and transplantation are the removal of organs and tissues from one person and placed into another person’s body. The need for organ transplantation usually occurs when the recipient organ has failed (UNOS, 2010). Organ donation can save the lives of many individuals who are on the waiting list for an organ donation. Becoming an organ donor can be a difficult decision. Many people have the false beliefs about being an organ donor. An example would be if organ donor is on their driver’s license and a person is in a life-threatening accident everything will not be done to save their life. There is an increase need for organ donors and unfortunately the need for organ
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.