According to donatelife.netin 2018 over 17,500 organ donors brought life to recipients and their families.
Every 10 minutes a new person is added to the national waiting list for crucial organs. Twenty-two people die every day because the vital organs they need are not received in time. Around 8,000 people died in 2018. Over 114,000 people are currently on the transplant list and waiting. Organs donated can save up to eight lives, corneas donated can restore vision to two people and tissue can heal over 50 people.
Students around campus were asked if they were registered as donors and what their take on the shortage of donors is and why or why not they choose to be a donor.
To register as an organ donor, you can visit donatelife.net.
“I am an organ donor because I think that if I’m going to die anyway then I want to benefit someone else and hopefully help someone else to live a little bit longer.”
Lydia Cooke, Oakridge, Tennessee.
“I don’t think I’m an organ donor because I haven’t put it on my license yet but I want to be for sure. I know I’m a bone marrow donor. I donate blood about three or four times a year.”
Autumn Denney, K-5 education.
“I am an organ donor partly because it’s a good thing to do just to be safe and also because they give you a discount on your license if you do it. I think that’s also a very good incentive.”
Alex Cornelius, physiology, Cartersville, Georgia.
“I’m not, I’ve just never thought to be, also it’s a very irrational fear but there’s been theories that doctors don’t keep you alive if you are. I’m glad other people do it, it’s definitely beneficial.”
Erin Purdue, social work.
“I am because my mom told me to and it’s the right thing to do I guess. I feel like someone has told me before that if you are an organ donor people won’t try to save you as much.”
Ashton White, accounting, Lebanon, Tennessee.
“I am not an organ donor. I don’t really have a specific reason why or why not. I just haven’t really thought about it or considered it.”
Kat Shinn, Fiber Arts.
