pril 10 was just one of the many days the Give and Let Live SDLC campaigned for organ donation awareness, a project for which they have been researching and striving to recruit donors. “There are so many benefits to becoming an organ donor,” junior Alysia Overdorf, a member of the SDLC, said.
A few days ago, Overdorf and her roommates could be found in the BSC, working to distribute handouts. In addition, they displayed a poster board with various topics related to organ donation. The board provided three steps to becoming an organ donor: make a decision, share your decision with your family and register online at www.donors1.org/register. The board also included a background piece that provided information on the Give and Let Live SDLC and their goals for the project. The SDLC wishes to spread the word to the Etown community and to become an active part of the Gift of Life movement, offering support to families of donors and recipients.
The display featured quick facts on organ donation in case passers-by did not have time to stop and talk. Each day, 18 Americans die waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Organ transplants have been successful for over 50 years. Each day, 77 Americans receive a life-saving organ transplant. One donated tissue can enhance the lives of 50 people. Details such as these helped to put in perspective the sheer number of people who are in need of organ transplants in this country, and how just one donor can make a significant positive impact on many lives.
Several myths arise when discussing organ donation because many people do not have the correct information. For example, some believe that if a person is in an accident and a doctor or nurse sees that the person is an organ donor, they will let that person die. According to one of the handouts that Overdorf and her roommates distributed, an individual needs to be in the hospital, on a ventilator and pronounced brain dead in order to donate organs. Another myth that surrounds organ donation is that only rich and famous people can afford to get a transplant. This is not the case; most insurance companies cover major organ transplants, such as heart or lung transplants.
When considering becoming an organ donor, it is common for people to believe that it is unethical and conflicts with their religion. In many cases, this is not true. Catholicism, for example, views organ donation as an act of love and self-sacrifice for the benefit and well-being of others. “The Catholic Church would promote the fact that there is a need for organ donors and that Christians should accept this as a challenge to their generosity and fraternal love so long as ethical principles are followed,” the late Pope John Paul II once stated. Other religious groups such as Muslims, the Anabaptists, Hindus and Jews also support organ donation. This being said, religion, in many cases, supports the individual’s decision to become active in organ donation.
The final aspect of organ donation that the Give and Let Live SDLC publicized was the importance of African-Americans in organ donation. According to Overdorf’s handout, more than 33,000 of the 115,000 people who require organ transplants are African-Americans. African-Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population and 14 percent of all organ donors. However, African-Americans constituted 35 percent of all patients waiting for kidney transplants in the past year.
Overdorf and her roommates hope to greatly increase the number of donors within the campus community and support the cause in any way they are able. In addition to providing information regarding organ donation, the group’s presentation offered tips to help prevent organ failure. Getting a blood check twice a year, avoiding fried foods that clot arteries and being tested for illnesses like diabetes are simple but effective methods of avoiding organ problems.
