Dave Nuttall
ENG 1010 5:30p
IEP Paper
The Strangers Gift
When life hangs in the balance and there is uncertainty with every breath, suddenly, not only months and weeks are counted, but to the person waiting for the donation of a perfectly matching organ; hours and even precious minutes are treasured in anxious but guarded anticipation. Each year thousands of hopeful men, women and children receive organ transplants of all types, extending their lives not only by duration but in quality ways as well. Sadly, thousands of others watch their own names or the names of their loved ones climb all too slowly up the waiting list, hoping that time in some cruel irony, will not run out before it is too late. Nonetheless, time respects no man. All too often, their mere continued existence depends entirely on the pre-meditated charity of others. A recently deceased stranger or in some cases a living donor, perhaps even an acquaintance, may be their final option. Whatever their story may be, this donor holds the key to banishing death for a little while longer and helping to create for the recipient, a happier reality, an escape from one of life’s bleakest moments.
These donors provide anatomical gifts in the form of lungs, hearts, bone marrow, kidneys, eyes, livers, tissues and a myriad of other body parts. Although not classified as organs of course, blood, plasma and platelet donations are extremely beneficial as well. Blood banks across the country and around the world desperately depend on a constant supply of blood products in all blood types for use in surgeries and in stabilizing trauma patients as well as during other vital medical procedures. This deeply humanitarian service provided by willing donors truly saves lives, giving recipients a shot at recovery while allowing their families to celebrate life rather than mourn a tragic loss. In one case from Maryland involving the tragic deaths of both a mother and her daughter, their selfless decisions to register as organ donors resulted in lifesaving transplants for thirteen other people following their own deaths (Thurm).
The decision to donate should never be taken lightly and family members need to be involved and aware so that a donor’s desires can be carried out in a timely manner. This is especially important if they were to pass away unexpectedly. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) which assumes responsibility for pairing donors and recipients across the country, thirty to forty percent of the adults in our country expressed interest in being donors but upon passing away, nearly fifty percent of those were buried without any donation efforts because their wishes had never been communicated to their own families. Although it is not an easy subject, if open discussion between families and potential donors is allowed to take place, not only does the donor have the opportunity to make their desires known, but they may also influence others to register as donors as well. It is also suggested that especially in the case of an untimely death of a child, the act of donating and thus providing life to others may be a great source of comfort and consolation for the family, in spite of their tragedy. In the case of a death where donation is still being discussed, precious time may be lost, time that cannot be regained when it comes to the viability of the organs. Organs such as kidneys may last up to 72 hours but hearts and lungs only remain viable for 4-6 hours following death. Both the liver and pancreas can last 12-24 hours in the right conditions (Lehmann).
As the demand for transplant opportunities increases with the ever-growing waiting list, some negative aspects have reared their heads, creating controversy. Although it is illegal to buy and sell organs in the United States, this practice does exist in some countries. Being able to buy and sell human organs in a “Free Market” arrangement is argued by some as a potential method to make available more organs, specifically kidneys, to more recipients. The primary concept is that most people can spare one kidney, raising the question of who should be allowed to donate and when is it appropriate to harvest a kidney? When donors are put into a position to profit from their donation, other concerns come into being such as the honesty of the donor in regard to their current health and the relative health and condition of their organs. A standard practice regarding the removal of organs from patients was adopted by the organ transplant community. This states that, except in the case of voluntary donors, no organs are to be removed unless the donor is first determined to be brain-dead (Coleman).
Additional controversy also arose in cases where media coverage was widely utilized. Although media assistance is capable of raising funds by increasing awareness and generally improving a hopeful recipient’s chances of skirting the wait list, it is argued that often times recipients are aided most due to their societal or celebrity status. In the first of two comparison cases, the media went to great lengths to rally financial and community support behind the son of a well-known local sports commentator and hockey enthusiast while another case exists in which the media paid little to no attention to the request for help due to the apparent lack of sensational merit (Baldwin).
The question regarding equal and fair distribution of the organs still remains and will likely not be resolved easily. In another similar example, a newspaper in Minnesota successfully garnered community support for a young boy who needed a kidney transplant. Later on, a second request for media intervention was made by the family of another young boy. This time the newspaper put very little effort into it, causing the family to become upset and to question the differences in the papers’ responses. How was it possible that their son’s mournful saga did not also warrant the same degree of involvement? The reporter explained that if there was nothing new about his story, something uniquely tragic to that case, he would likely not be able to do much with it as they had already done that type of piece before. It was also revealed that physically unattractive or overweight people had less of a chance of fair or equal treatment by the media as the papers and news stations did not want to commit resources to these cases (Baldwin).
One man, Paul Dooley from Massachusetts, watched his father who was in need of a kidney transplant, diminish to the point of death as he waited for his turn on the national organ donation list. At the time, there were approximately 50,000 names on the waiting list. Not surprisingly, the father’s number was never called and after he passed away, Paul was driven to help others to navigate their own transplant bids more effectively. While drawing from prior web design experience, he created a website named MatchingDonors.com. The entire focus of the site was aimed at matching would-be donors with patients whom they wanted to meet and help. The program had its rules. All donations were expected to be voluntary and there was to be no monetary exchange. Five years later in 2009, several thousand donors had registered with MatchingDonors.com, resulting in nearly six hundred successful donations. This means that during that time, nearly six hundred people were not forced to rely on the national list as their only option and subsequently reduced the length of the national list as well, helping even more people in the process (MacFarquhar).
In spite of death, an organ donor leaves an amazing legacy, one that benefits the lives of so many others in ways which can never be fully comprehended. However, in life, those who choose to voluntarily donate an organ, no matter the reason, provide the ultimate gift. Often times this is even done anonymously. This level of compassion for ones fellow-man would seem to be in a league of its own. Not for fanfare. Not for public praise or recognition. Simply one of the most selfless acts someone can do for humanity. The ultimate expression of love and charity bestowed upon someone whom the donor may never meet.
Consider the unforeseen impact a single donor may have upon generations to come . . . It seems that it would be impossible to estimate the value of the strangers gift.
Works Cited
Baldwin, Deborah. "A Matter of Life and Death." American Journalism Review. June 1994: 40-45. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2012.
Coleman, Gerald D. "Organ Donation: Charity or Commerce?." America Vol. 196, No. 8. 05 Mar 2007: 22-24. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2012.
Lehmann, Annie. "From Death, New Life: Experts Answer Common Questions About..." Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI). Nov. 7 2000: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2012.
MacFarquhar, Larissa. "The Kindest Cut." New Yorker (Vol. 85, No. 22). 27 Jul 2009: 39. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2012.
Thurm, Kevin. "The Ultimate Gift: Sharing Life." State Government News. Jan./Feb. 1998: 15-17. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2012.
