The Best Thing I Have done - To be an Organ Donor

My dad freaked out when I showed him the card that shows I am an organ donor. He said he will not allow anyone to take anything from my dead body. Rather than i feed the worm and maggots and go to waste, its only right that i give them to people who really need those organs.There are two reasons that it’s important to commit to donation. The first is obvious, but the second just occurred to me. First, one donor can save and improve the lives of dozens of other people, so we should all donate, if we can—it’s a rare privilege, actually, to die in a way that permits you to be a donor.

Second, because so few people do die in a way that allows their organs to be used, it’s critical to have an enormous base of potential donors. By committing to donation, and by telling other people that you’ve done so, you help create a culture in which it’s expected that people donate their organs. These cultural expectations make a big difference. Littering, wearing seat belts, driving after drinking, smoking in restaurants … just in my lifetime, I’ve seen huge shifts in the expectations for behavior. If “everyone” signs up to be an organ donor, everyone will sign up to be an organ donor.

Now, if you have a principled reason not to donate, fine. You get a pass. But ask yourself this: If you needed a kidney, would you accept one from a donor? If your child or sweetheart needed a kidney, would you put that name on the list? If you answer yes, then do your part. Sign up yourself.

Also, if you’re concerned about the exploitation of people in other countries for their organs, you undermine the demand for those organs by committing to donation.

It’s not a principled or religious belief that prevents many people from signing up—nope, we neglect to sign up from sheer laziness or from a vague desire to avoid thinking about death. Are those good reasons to neglect to do something so easy and so important?

Maybe you’re feeling frantically busy, so you can’t volunteer at that soup kitchen, or maybe you’re feeling strapped for cash, so you can’t donate to support your local library. Here’s a good deed of enormous significance that you can do in less than a minute. Sign up Now!. Tell your family! Remember, you'll get a big rush of happiness from the knowledge that you've done something to help other people. Do good, feel good.

And never forget, one day you might be the person waiting for that call from the hospital. Someone reading this post right now may be inspired to sign up to donate the kidney that will save your life next year. So sign up yourself. I PLEDGED TO DONATE EVERY ORGAN THAT IS USABLE AFTER I AM DISMISSED...HOW ABOUT YOU?