Ethical Organ Donation

As of 2010, there are over 100,000 people currently on the waiting list for organ donation in the United States. The demand for available organs far outstrips the supply, leaving many patients waiting, suffering and even dying. Ethical organ donation can give life to someone in desperate need.

Process

• To ethically donate organs, there are a few steps to follow. Most states have their own individual donor registries. Anyone interested in donating their organs after death should get in touch with their state agency. All states now allow people to designate their decision on their driver's licenses. Anyone without a driver's license should register and carry a donor card with them at all times.

Misconceptions

• There are no costs to a donor's family in ethical organ donation. The only costs a donor's family are responsible for are the initial medical expenses and the costs of the donor's funeral. The costs of the organ transplant are paid by the recipient.

Potential

• Anyone who is willing has the opportunity to become an organ donor. The only exceptions are donors under 18, who must obtain their parent's permission. The organs must be medically suitable; however, this is determined at the time of the donor's death.