Dunbar has been promoting organ donation through a drive and teaching students what it means to be a donor. Advertising and opening registration in the cafeteria, we have been talking face to face with students about why being a donor is the right thing to do. The organizers want everyone to know why donating organs to medicine or science is beneficial. 

Donate for Life is a nonprofit organization that is focusing on increasing the number of donated organs.

Unfortunately, the number of donations doesn’t come close to the demand for them. The reason so many people overlook organ donation as an option is because they lack an understanding of the process. The Donate for Life web site includes a section on Myths and Frequently Asked Questions in which they clarify misunderstandings.

When a patient is on a donor list and a match is found they can surgically replace the destructive organ with a healthy one. Twenty-two people nationwide die every day because a correct match cannot be found for their condition. Every 10 minutes someone is added to a transplant waiting list and every time the chances of survival decrease due to the lack of donors. 

Registration is monitored statewide. In Kentucky, the Circuit Court Clerk’s office asks everyone getting a license if they would like to become a donor. Potential donors can go to RegisterMe.org to ensure that the commitment to be an organ donor is honored in all states. 

Advancements in medicine have saved over half a million people, and the success rate in transplant surgery is incredibly high. In the United States, we are well past the experimental stage. The issue is simply the number of people who are willing to become donors. 

The mission is to suppress any misconceptions about the process and to teach people how simple and accessible registration is. The reward is knowing that you have the potential to give someone a second chance at life.