Ladies and gentlemen good afternoon, today I am here to share with you my views on organ donation, hopping that you will take them on board and give someone the ultimate gift after you have left this earth – the gift of life. Organ transplant is the moving of an organ from one body to another (or from a donor site on the patient’s own body), for the purpose of replacing the recipient’s damaged or failing organ with a working one from the donor site. Organ donors can be living or deceased. Organs that can be transplanted are the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, penis, and intestine.
Tissues include bones, tendons, cornea, heart valves, veins, and arms. For the past five years every year between 23-38 children less than five years old die from organ disorder and 786-1087 over five years old whilst waiting for a transplant. Again you may say not a lot – but in fact it is a whole lot. Ladies and gentlemen you can help. By donating your vital organs after you have passed away you can help save lives. For the past 4 years (2005) Jamaica was listed among 184 countries world wide to increased organ donation to 75% each year again this comes to show that each day an individual is in need of an organ in order to survive.
In the gleaner dated September 15, 2006 there were as many as 400 patients awaiting kidney transplants alone in the country. (This is caused kidney disorder) In Jamaica there is pretty strong resistance to organ donation, much of it rooted in religious sentiment. None of the denominations specifically forbids donation. What seem to be at work are strong personal beliefs about the integrity of the body which precludes removing any of its parts even after death. Ladies and gentlemen, for the more sentimental of you, there are hundred of patients waiting for a transplant, ever day so, how can you help?
All you have to do is get in touch with your local doctor and he will tell you all you need to know. You might just be giving your heart to your child or someone you love dearly. After a transplant of a vital organ, the average survival rate is over 80%. A massive increase from the 20% would live without the surgery. Some people worry. Will they be left open after the surgery as they are already dead, or will they still be able to have an open casket funeral? The answers to these are simple. You will be treated with the up most respect in the surgery and the same procedures apply to the body as a living body.
And yes, you will be able to have an open casket funeral if you wish to. The old parable states “ what goes around will comes around” Ladies and gentlemen – the gift of life is the most amazing gift anybody can contributes to. How I see things, and what will made me become a donor, is that after I am gone I will have no use for my organs. So why should I deprive someone else from using them. I CAN, YOU CAN, and as Barrack Obama said “ WE CAN” help save a life. Please consider what I have said today. Thank you.
