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What if I told you a few minutes of your time today could save eight lives in the future? Well, it’s possible through organ donation. Just last year organ donors made more than 28,000 transplants possible. Unfortunately, thousands of people die each year waiting for a donor organ, but you have the power to help change that. If you’re still on the fence about whether to become an organ donor, here are a few reasons to help turn that ‘maybe’ into a ‘yes’.
1. People need these transplants. NOW. There are currently more than 121,000 people in the U.S. on waiting lists for an organ transplant, and another name is added every 12 minutes. After you pass away, your heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas and small intestines can be donated to save other people’s lives. You can even become a “living donor” by donating a kidney, part of your liver, lung, intestine, blood or bone marrow.
2. It won’t jeopardize your quality of care. Whether you are an organ donor has no bearing on the type of care you will receive if you are seriously injured and hospitalized. You will always receive the best possible care, and organ donation is only considered after a patient has passed.
3. It costs you nothing. It doesn’t cost you a single cent to sign up to be an organ donor, and your family will not have to deal with any costs related to the donation later on, which are covered by the transplant recipients’ insurance/Medicare/other organization.
4. You can donate no matter your age. There are no age limits with organ donation, and if you’re under 18 all you need is your parents’ consent.
5. Organ donation is accepted by all major religions. All major religions, except Shinto, some branches of Judaism and some Protestant faiths, support saving lives through organ donation.
6. It’s easy to do. Signing the back of your license or donor card is not enough to officially register as a donor. Each state has its own registry, so check out this site for a link to your state’s registry and sign up today! –
