I don’t want to be preachy, but here are two things you can do that take very little effort in comparison to how it will help others.
Donate blood
Your body regenerates blood. It’s one of the wonders of the body. You can give a pint every 56 days and most never feel any negative effects. Your blood is then available to people at moments when they really need it.
Find a blood donation center today.
Become an organ donor
Let me dispel the largest rumor about organ donation: they won’t take your body parts until you’re done with them. That means you’re dead.
It’s a morbid thing to think about, and I know many people feel uncomfortable with the idea of their lung or heart going inside another’s chest. I understand this, and if you can’t get over it, don’t sign up.
But I sure wish you would. Like you, I rather like all my organs where they are right now. And that’s the good news, you can keep your organs now, just make your donation wishes known.
Over half of the 97,000 Americans on the national transplant waiting list will die before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate about 20,000 transplantable organs every year. Over 6,000 of our neighbors suffer and die needlessly every year as a result.
There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage — give organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren’t willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.
Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at http://www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.