Organ Donation Essays (1048 words) - Organ Donation, Medical Ethics

Organ Donation INTRODUCTION /ATTENTION STEP A. 1. Imagine that a loved one has just been severely injured in a car accident. 2. The injuries include brain trauma, broken bones, but most notably, a loss of two pints of blood, that your friend is in desperate need of. 3. Coincidentally your blood type matches. 4. Picture yourself at the scene of the accident. 5. Put yourself in the hospital waiting room, anticipating news from the doctors, hoping that your friend will survive. 6. What would you say when the doctor approaches you and tells you that in order to save your friends life, you must donate. B 1. Now hold that thought with one more element added. 2. You were in the car, however you were not as lucky as your friend. 3. You are now a victim token by the car crash. 4. Wouldn't you still hope to save a friend's life as your last wish? 5. Would you give any other organ necessary for your friend's survival? Your heart ? Your kidneys? Your liver? It's a matter of life and death. 6. If you had designated on your driver's license or carried some other means to communicate your decision to be an organ donor, your friends life could have been saved. TRANSITION: Does your driver's license designate you as an organ donor? BODY /PROBLEM STEP A. 1. Upon encountering this subject, much negative stigma is attached to the implications of organ donation. 2. The reality is, as we all know, that we are not invincible, and someday every one's time will come to an end. 3. The act of organ donation is a significantly compassionate and humane choice for a person to make. TRANSITION: Organ donation is a subject that affects all of us, but it is largely misunderstood. I will attempt to clarify the situation with? B: SOME COMPELLING FACTS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION 1. Doctors remark transplantation as one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of medicine. 2. Organ transplantation is an operation that is safe, lifesaving, and the technology that supports it is continually expanding. 3. As reported by the Coalition on Donation, 65,000 Americans are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Meaning that their life is entirely dependent upon receiving the organ. 4. Tragically, every day 12 people will die awaiting a transplant. 5. That's over 4,000 people a year. Thankfully one donor can help more than fifty people in need. 6. Of the 2-million people who die in the United States each year, approximately 14,000 are believed to be viable organ donors, yet only 5,000 of these actually become donors. The remaining 9,000 are lost. At an average of 5 lives saved per Donor, that represents 45,000 lives lost each year - needlessly. (*see pie chart) C MYTHS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION 1. MYTH: Some Major Religions oppose organ donation. 2. FACT: All mainstream religions support organ donation and consider it a benevolent charitable act. 3. MYTH: Organ donation disfigures the body, making an open casket funeral impossible. 4. FACT: Organ Donation does not disfigure the body and does not interfere with funeral plans, including open casket services. 5. MYTH: Only heart, liver and kidneys can be transplanted. 6. FACT: The heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines are the organs that can be donated. Tissue that can be donated include the eyes, skin, bone, heart valves and tendons. TRANSITION: There is much more information readily available for furthering your understanding of the subject. D SOLUTION STEP/ PROJECTION STEP 1. For those who would like to know more about organ donation and how to pledge to be an organ donor, you can visit the web-site HTTP://www.organdonor.gov/contents.htm 2. Here you will find answers to all of your questions with links to most every resource available on the web. ACTION STEP TRANSITION: I hope that all of you will at least look this up next time that you are on the internet. Taking few a minutes of your time today may give others a chance to enjoy a lifetime. CONCLUSION 1. I urge you all to decide to be an organ donor. 2. If you do choose to be an organ donor, you should share your decision. 3. As the law stands today, it is ultimately up to the family, regardless of age, whether or not your decision will be upheld. 4. It is extremely important to tell your family about your intentions for organ donation. 5. The department of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) emphasize that sharing the decision to become a donor is