It is sad indeed that thousands of patients suffering complications caused by failures of their body organs are dying across the world because there is lack of functional body organs to replace their failing ones. Statistics from the United Network for Organ Sharing Department reveals that about fifty people lose their lives every day for sheer lack of various body organs suitable for transplant. The department further goes on to sound an alarm that these figures could shoot tremendously in the next two years if the number of people offering to donate organs remains low. Whereas the lives of thousands of patients with various body organ failures are in the woods due to acute shortage of organs for transplant, it is appalling that many people still do not recognize the dire need to donate these vital body organs. The list of patients hoping to receive an organ transplant is growing day and night across the world because very few people are willing to authorize the removal of their body parts at the time of their death.

What is Organ Donation?

Organ donation is the giving of any body organ by an individual to a different person who is need of one. It requires that an individual give a prior consent that their organs be removed from their bodies upon their death so they could be transplanted to some other persons who are in need of them. There is dire need for the transplantable organs across the world. It is projected that the lives of well over one hundred thousand children, men, and women are dwindling because they are waiting for healthy organs to be transplanted in their bodies. It is really shocking a news that these figures could double up in the coming three years due to increasing health complications and low response of donors. Shortage in the supply of transplantable organs is running thus, putting the lives of multitudes of children, men and women at risk of passing out.

Importance of Organ Donation

The psychological and emotional torture that come with the failure to find a suitable organ for transplant is overwhelming. So many innocent people with organ failures are staring death in the eye simply because there are no organs available for the transplant. Imagine by simply signing a consent form authorizing the removal of body organs, can turn around the lives of several other patients in a special way. Patients with malfunctioning kidneys, livers and heart are compelled to undergo costly yet harrowing medical procedures which only offer them a temporary relief. These temporary life-saving procedures see patients frequent and overstay in medical facilities. It is quite unfortunately, though, that the less privileged patients who cannot the full costs of transplant organs have very little hope of survival. Apart from the suffering of these patients, it goes without saying that their relatives and beloved ones also go through untold agony as they prepare for the eventual demise of the ailing family members. Imagine your siblings are on their death beds for years because potential donors are unwilling to donate vital parts of their bodies! It is very disheartening to see thousands and thousands of men, women, and innocent children slip into somewhat permanent state of crippling health conditions for lack of transplant organs.

Organ Donation - The Biggest Gift of Life

By simply donating an organ, in whole or in part, everyone could save a life. It is really fulfilling for donors to know that their decisions to give out body organs will save and improve the lives of several other people across the world. Organ donation is a sign of charity by the donor to those with malfunctioning body organs so that their health could be restored, and pain alleviated. It also signifies high level of goodwill, on the part of the donor, to offer the medically disadvantaged populations a new lease of life by donating them body organs so that they (patients) can enjoy their lives in full. Eye donation would help restore sight of the individuals with the permanently damaged eyes and kidney donation would relieve patients with kidney problems over the excessive pain and high cost of treatment which come with dialysis. Body organ remains that biggest gift of life that a philanthropic individual could ever give to the living at the time of his demise.

It is most notable that organ donation can bring all these excruciating pain and psychological torture on the patient and their beloved ones to an abrupt end. Donation of vital body organs such as intestinal organs, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, and kidney by the dying person is of great benefit to the suffering patients. Instead of having these organs to go to waste after the potential donors have passed on, individuals should seriously consider issuing a written consent to authorize the removal of these organs from their bodies for the benefit of those waiting for a transplant. The notion that individuals could only donate body organs and tissues when they die is highly misconstrued. "You do not have to be dead to give someone a kidney. You just have to be healthy and willing" (626). The living donors can offer parts of their organs such as liver, intestine and lungs so as to alleviate the suffering of persons living with failing body organs.

Even though there is mounting fear that organ donation could turn out to be hazardous on the donors' health, there is no cause of alarm for donors. Donating a kidney, for instance, is not a life changing experience; the laparoscopic surgeries, performed to remove kidneys from the body, involves making small incisions in the body measuring about three inches. The donors who have undergone this incisive procedure get discharged from the hospital three days after the removal surgery. The full recovery from the surgery takes a month. It has been confirmed over and over recovery of the donors from the organ removal procedures is guaranteed. This implies that the surgical operations conducted on the donors during the removal of the body organs pose no harm.

Process of Donating an Organ

Most notably, most potential donors are not fully informed on how they can register for the organ donation. Some think of it as series of complex and time-consuming undertakings which requires the legal assistance of the attorneys. In the real medical practice, the process of donating an organ is very simple. Contrary to treacherous documentation that characterized clinical operations in the medical facilities, the surgical removal of the organ only require donors to give their consent allowing medical practitioners to carry out the pre-arranged operation at the agreed time. In average, the registration for organ donation by the donors takes about two hours to be completed after presenting themselves at the gazette health facilities. Of paramount importance, there are no costs that come with organ donation registration; the whole process is free of charge.

Conclusion

In summary, organ donation has got the potential to reverse the excruciating pain that most patients with various body organs failure go through. Rather than take these organs to the grave, people should consent the removal of these vital organs upon their death to save the lives of growing populations if patients with organ failures. Organ donation is the most valuable gift of life which dying persons could ever give to those they are leaving behind.

Works Cited

1. Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide. 12th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.