Priceless Donations

"What is that?" - You may be asking regarding this picture. Very simple, they are kidneys. Most people have two, but you can live normally with one. Some people have non-functioning kidneys and require dialysis while waiting for and organ donor. 84,000 people in the United States are waiting for a donor kidney. Sadly, only 15,000 transplants happen every year. There is new hope for those waiting.

WGN news did a segment last night on live donors who donated to a complete stranger. The medical field is hoping to start an epidemic of donators. I am inspired by this segment. In a web poll, 76% of the people state that they would donate an organ to a complete stranger. If this is true, why are there so many people waiting still?

It is important to understand the donation process. Either the organ comes from a deceased person, or a live donor. Either way, the organ must be a match via blood and tissue. It's not so easy to find a perfect match. Many factors are taken into consideration regarding the health of the person donating. This rules out many people from donating. The average wait for a kidney is 5-7 years. Some people will not live to see the transplant ever happen, They are waiting for an organ everyday, and just hoping there is a match.

In Chicago, four people have stepped forward to donate one of their kidneys to a complete stranger. These acts of kindness are inspiring. After donating, a person will live normally with one kidney. People in need of a kidney only have so many options for live donors. Obviously family and close friends can donate, but there is always the possibility that none of them match. As a person on a waiting list for an organ, this gives me hope. It seems that family members of the recipients (who were not good matches) are so inspired that they are willing to donate to another perfect stranger, if they match.

I think I am baffled by the numbers of people waiting for a donor. If 76% of America is willing to donate, then where are they? Why is there such a long wait to receive a kidney when there is such a large pool of people to choose from? Granted, some of them may not be "healthy" donators, or some may not match, but with our huge population, this list should be so much shorter. I hope this segment on the evening news will inspire more people to step forward and make this priceless donation.