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Organ donation saves thousands every year

To the editor:

There are thousands of people dying every year from something that is completely preventable. These lives could be saved by organ donation if there were enough organ donors. Won’t you consider becoming an organ donor and changing somebody’s life?

Organ donation is an opportunity to help others. According to the Mayo Clinic over 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ transplant. However, in 2015 only 25,000 people received organs, which is just one quarter of those on the waitlist. If you become an organ donor then you can not only save up to 8 lives, but you can also bring hope to the families of the patients.

You have to understand that people are dying while waiting for an organ! The Mayo Clinic says that it is estimated that every day in the U.S. 21 patients die because of the lack of a donor organ. Did you know that one more person is added to the national waiting list every 12 minutes? That means that 120 people are added each day! We, as the people, need to step up our game and become donors.

The best part about this is that becoming a donor is easy! Just about anyone, at any age, can become an organ donor, but those younger than 18 need to have the consent of a parent or guardian. People say, “I’m not in the best of health. Nobody would want my organs or tissue,” but it’s the decision of the transplant team whether or not your organs are healthy enough to donate. If you’re interested in donating your organs after death, you can register now with your state’s donor registry (visit OrganDonor.gov), or fill out an organ donor card when you get or renew your driver’s license. To become a living donor, you can either work directly with your family member or friend’s transplant team, or contact a transplant center in your area to find out who’s in need of an organ.

You should consider becoming an organ donor because signing up is easy, people are dying while waiting for an organ and organ donation is an opportunity to help others. Just think about all the lives you’ll be able to save! Become a hero, become an organ donor today!

Xaviera Beward

Honey Grove

Freshman, Juniata High School

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