On average out of the 9,500 people that die in the United States, 18 of those people die waiting for a vital organ each day. How vital is life to you, and would you pass it on? The one thing that really inspired me to write about this topic is the fact that one of my relatives is patiently waiting for a Kidney. She only has one kidney and whatever is left of her second one has gone into kidney failure. With the uprising need for kidney transplants the only thing that we can do for now on this tedious journey of dialysis and harsh medications is pray for the best and hope that one day soon someone will be able to bless her with a kidney. Over 100,000 people are put on the waiting list each year and only around 27,000 actually receive an organ. About 12,000 people that die each year qualify for donation, however less than half of them become actual donors. Organs should not be taken for granted, so why not give a person their second chance at life?

The majority of the arguments for Organ transplantation are pro. Such arguments are that based on a nationwide survey ninety percent of the population say that they support organ donation. One of the most used arguments is the feeling of pride after donating an organ, the person who receives your organ will most likely think of you as a god send, and most people think there is no better feeling than helping those in need. With the amount of organs donated yearly it saves on average 27,000 lives annually. Most people also think that in certain situations when a vital organ is needed that organ transplants can help ease the pain of grieving family members. When people realize that the organs of their loved one have extended someone else’s life, it is usually more comforting.

There aren’t very many people against organ donations and not very many reasons to support their choice to be against it. But most of the arguments usually stem from race and or religion. A majority of religions don’t support organ donation because they feel that when it is time for someone to go, that nothing and no one should interfere with that stage in a persons’ life. Another reason behind it is racial views. But honestly how could someone’s skin color result in a bad organ, just think that if you were in that situation and you needed and organ, would you turn it down just because of someone’s nationality? One of the only other reasons that people are against organ donation is because of population issues. Yes we all know that our country is extremely crowded, but with an average of 3.5 million people dying in the United States each year, will it really hurt to save a couple thousand people, just so that they can get their second chance at life?

The four most common organs needed are the kidneys, heart, liver, and lungs. When only twenty percent of the people in need of an organ actually receive one; it should make you think twice about becoming an organ donor. If you put yourself in their shoes, you would understand the struggle just to get by on a daily basis. Make sure to think twice about your decision the next time you go to renew your license, and remember that the choice you make could possibly save someone’s live.