2011

Writing Seminar, RIT Dubai Navya Vibhunath

[ORGAN DONATION?] BAH !HUMBUG.

Ebenezer Scrooge was a coward. He got rid of his undefeatable spirit of stinginess as soon as Marleys ghost visited him and gave him some regression therapy. Keeping up to the spirit of stinginess, people are mostly reluctant to donate organs, money, or even time for a good cause. If Scrooge was asked to sign up for (organ) donation after death, well, he would have answered thus: ``If they would rather die,'' said Scrooge, ``they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population [A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens]. Would you respond similarly, if you were in Patricks shoes? Patrick Pruitt almost lost his vision at the age of five. He was becoming partially blind. A couple who lost their child in an accident, were generous enough to donate the deceased childs cornea to Patrick, who eventually spoke about how indebted he was to the couple at the National Donor Recognition Ceremony in Washington, DC and several times at Gift of Life Michigans Betty Buckley Donor Family Ceremony. Undoubtedly, organ donations are live saving and are also in high demand. Even as you read this essay, someones just been added to the waiting list for a donation. Every 11 minutes theres a new patient, every day 20 families bereave the death of a waitlisted candidate from their family. Only 75 people receive transplants every day, and these statistics only apply to USA, where over a 100,000 people await mercy, trying their luck at life and transplant. But, why would you give up anything especially an organ, mostly the vital ones, for anyone else? Isnt there enough surplus population? If we were to think in an entirely Machiavellian sense, organ donation would only become an extra burden for our lives. But it could save the life of another person too. It will give someone an opportunity to live life again, perhaps in a more meaningful manner, given their painful experiences. That someone could be a teenager who is still trying to decipher his/her dreams and forward in life. That person could be a working single

parent whose life revolves around her kids. It could be someone in your family, or even you! What is it that stops you from taking such a practical, great cause for organ donation? Organ transplant is a life saving process which is done on most organs for example, the kidney, heart, pancreas, liver, and even on tissues like the cornea, bone marrow, blood, skin, hair, and cartilage. Besides matching blood group, the surgery also requires the organ to be accepted into the body, which can be a hit and miss case for a donated organ. The doctors determine the acceptance of the organ using the patients blood type and in some cases, DNA. A transplanted organ may match between kith, kin, and even among strangers. Nevertheless, an organ failure leaves one with no other option than transplant. Myths on organ donation are many. Due to the organ trafficking racket has lead people to think that, signing up for organ donation can risk ones life. It is clearly untrue that, organ donors may be less cared for and left to die in times of need. Doctors involved in treatment only focus on the on the patient at hand and not on another. Organ donors undergo more tests than others, and are less likely to rise from the dead, which is a sensational topic in the media. These tests are the final attempts to save the donors life, and they are legal procedures as well. The cost of these tests may incur an extra cost to your family which may be mistaken as organ donation costs. The cost of the transplant and medications is borne by the recipient. Catholic, Protestant and Islamic beliefs comply with organ donation. Certain branches of Judaism also comply with the idea. The federal organ donor website OrganDonor.gov gives more information on this topic, providing organ transplant statistics and religious views on organ donations by denomination. Organ and tissue donation does not disfigure a person. People are yet to realize that scars are few and vey unnoticeable as well. Bone donors get a steel rod inserted in place of the donated piece of bone. Skin donation also gets replacements. In the event of a posthumous

donation, an open casket funeral is by all means possible. Mutilated bodies of organ donors are a myth, and just a scare. This is probably a by product of people who feel that their bodies are personal and are not to be violated even after death. No one is too old for organ donation. I have always wanted to donate my blood, my blood group being the universal donor group. One of the top to-dos on my Turning 18 list was to sign up for organ donation after death. One person can save up to 50 lives through this noble act. Successful transplants have taken place from donors as old as 70 and 80. Viability of organs is tested at the time of death, and does not depend on age. The most viable organs will be approved for donation. Very few medical conditions disqualify people from organ donation. While some organs may be unsuitable/unviable in some cases, other organs and tissues can be donated depending on the strict medical evaluation they are subject to. Post organ donation, kidney donors adapt their bodies to a single kidney. The human body only needs a single kidney, which is why kidney donors mostly can be live donors. Kidney failure only happens when both kidneys stop working, and the patient also only needs a single working kidney. Liver donors donate a part of the liver, not the whole. The liver grows back to its normal size in a while, and both the donor and the recipient will have fully grown and functioning livers. Bone marrow, blood, and tissue are some examples of donations that can be made without depriving the donor. Though celebrities get a lot of publicity when it comes to organ donation, a celebrity patient isnt getting any more priority than a common patient. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the organization responsible for maintaining the national organ transplant network. It subjects all celebrity transplants to an internal audit to make sure the organ allocation was appropriate and unbiased.

If you are willing to donate organs, you may also do so while you are alive, i.e., as a live donor. In such a case you will undergo questioning to ensure that you are aware of the medical risks, if any, if you are healthy enough to be considered for organ donation, and that you are not doing this under financial motives or incentives. If you belong to an ethnic minority, it is more important that you sign up organ donation. Ethnic minorities have more DNA and blood types in common. Therefore finding a matching donor is more tedious, and in the vain wait, people die. When you sign up for organ donation, you give many needy and suffering people another chance at life. Your legacy will live on even posthumously. People will be encouraged by your act of kindness. It creates a sort of Pay It Forward effect. To sign up for organ donation, register with the nearest NGO, state or hospital registry. Carry an organ donor card with you to indicate your choice. Also consult legal advisors for documents which support your idea of donation. Mention it on your will so that family members may not be able to waive your choice to become a posthumous donor. Donate the Gift of Life, and do not become a Scrooge.