The term organ donation refers to the removal of the tissues of the human body from a person who has recently died, or from a living donor, for the purpose of transplantation to a deserving recipient. Organs and tissues are removed in procedures similar to regular surgery, and all incisions are closed at the conclusion of the surgery, resulting in extremely superficial and unnoticeable wounds and scars. Simple, effective steps can be taken to provide a traditional funeral viewing whenever this might be desired. People of all ages may be organ and tissue donors. In comparison, donations from dead donors far outweigh donations by living ones. The laws of different countries allow either the potential organ donor to consent or dissent to the donation during his or her life time, or allow the potential donor's relatives to consent or dissent. Due to cultural and social issues, the number of donations per million people varies a great deal in different countries.
To give some background information, there are hundreds of thousands of people around the globe awaiting organ transplants everyday, but only an estimated two hundred people on the waiting list receive an organ. Also, around 19 people die each day through waiting for an organ.
To discuss the first perspective of organ donation, I feel that it is justified in every sense and should be carried out in a more large-scale basis. This is because organ donation, especially from the deceased merely results in them not having a complete body with internals intact at their funeral. I reason that they are already dead anyway and what difference would it make whether they are put in the coffin with or without a kidney or heart? Maybe to some, it might have a certain religious or cultural significance. However, I then question whether this significance is substantial enough to potentially deprive another living person the right to life? Would the desire for a complete and intact body for a deceased person at his or her funeral outweigh the importance of human life which potentially would still have the chance to live and flourish? I don’t think so. Another point to note would be that for organ donation for the living, the donor would be able to live a normal life as he or she was doing before. The lack of one kidney or blood would not impact the donor’s life in any way. On the other hand, with this extra kidney, intestine or blood, the recipient’s life might be extended for another five, ten or even fifty years. Personally, I feel that even if there was a sacrifice to be made on the donor’s part, it is well worth it.
On the other hand, however, there are of course social and cultural issues on the subject of organ donation. In certain races, the removal of a person’s organ before he or her brain stem cells cease to function would be tantamount to murder. However, many doctors have stated that removal of most organs by this time would not be useful as their lifespan would have been run out. Thus, the question of whether these religious beliefs and traditions should be upheld, or the value of human life should take precedence over everything else should prevail is inherent. It can be reasoned that, like organ donations, religions are a person’s right to choose and since a person has chosen a certain religion, it is the duty of the people around him to respect the beliefs that he and his religion upholds.
In conclusion, my take on this issue would be that the value of human life should be regarded over everything else. However, I also believe that religious beliefs should be upheld and respected by the rest of the community. Thus, I feel that organ donations should be encouraged where it does not clash with religious beliefs or rules. For example, if someone does not want to donate his or her organ because of disfiguration of his or her body, it is important that the procedures of the transplant be made clear to the donor. For example, the ruling that all incisions made must be sewn up after the surgery might appease many donors as minimal scars will be left behind. Personally, I feel that organ donation should be allowed and even encouraged if the donor has personally agreed to the process. I also feel that more should be done to inform the potential donors the desperate need for organs and the potential benefit that it might bring to the person on the receiving end. To counter the potential ugly side of organ donation, I also feel that the organ market should be disallowed totally as other issues of human trafficking and abuse would ensue. However, for organ donation, the little sacrifice, if any, would result in the extension of someone else’s life, what could be more worth it?
