Organ Donation is something that concerns many people everyday. Whether you are in need of an organ, or you are getting ready to donate one, it can be stressful and dangerous. My dad and grandfather are two people who personally went through something like this. 

Kidney recipient James Barbero said,“When a person is in the early stages of organ failure, their doctor will discuss their options with them. If your doctor determines that you are eligible for a transplant, you will be asked if you have any family or friends who would be willing to be a donor. They’ll contact whoever they think would be able to donate and decide who is the best option.”

In my family’s personal experience, we dealt with kidney failure. In his lifetime, my grandfather has had 3 kidney transplants. Most recently, my dad gave him one of his kidneys. Soon after, it was decided that my grandfather needed a kidney so a few members of my family got together to talk. They decided that my dad was the best candidate to be a donor. 

Kidney donor, Tim Hachey said, “I had every test and examination you could imagine.” They checked his blood pressure, blood type, and made sure that his organs were healthy enough. One of the biggest challenges was to lose 30 pounds in 2 months. Even though it was challenging, he was able to do it. 

In the end, the transplant was successful, and both my dad and grandfather were alright. Even though my dad was chosen to be the donor, there were so many other amazing people who were willing to donate. 

In other cases, someone may not have anyone who is willing or capable of donating an organ. For these people, it could be difficult to find a stranger who will donate. Most likely, they would end up on dialysis. The patient would have to wait for a new organ to be available. Unfortunately, the demand for organs is very high and the amount of donors is very low.

However, hundreds of people every year will donate or see if they are eligible to donate. Others decide that they want to donate when they are not living. Cadaveric Donors are people who have passed away that donate their organs. Most people can sign up to be a Cadaveric donor when they get their driver’s license. If someone young and healthy passes away, there is a good chance their organs could still work for someone else. 

Organ transplants may be scary, but with a strong donor and recipient, they are life saving. When you get your driver’s license, consider signing up to be a donor. Or, someday you could potentially be a donor if you decide to.