My Topic and Why I Chose it:
Organ Donation is a topic that affects almost everyone, whether directly or indirectly. You may know someone who is waiting for an organ transplant, or you may know someone who passed away and became a donor. There are currently thousands of people waiting for lifesaving organ transplants every year and many do not receive one in time. I believe instituting a law known as the 'opt-out' law in other countries would help to save lives by increasing donations. This law assumes that everyone is an organ donor unless they register as a non-donor. It is essentially the opposite of the system we currently use, which requires us to register if we want to be a donor.
This is a very personal issue for me and has touched my life directly. I had a friend who passed away and by donating her organs she was able to save three lives. Another friend of mine had a child who desperately needed a heart transplant to survive. He was lucky enough to receive one, but not everyone is. My goal with this paper is to educate people about this topic and to provide suggestions for a more efficient process for donation.
My Research Process:
There is a lot of information on this topic already available to the general public. I used online databases, like Academic Search Premier, and Google. There are multiple nonprofit organizations doing their best to help educate the general public and dispel myths about organ donation. Simply typing in "organ donation" on google helped me get started.
Get Involved:
Ideally we will one day change to a presumed consent, or opt-out, law. Until that day comes there are many other ways that we can help support this issue. You can write letters to your congressman, or woman, asking them to propose and/or consider this change. The most important thing we can do at this time is to educate ourselves. Talk to your doctor, or look online. You can register to become a donor at the MVA or through different websites online. Discuss the issue with your family and express your wish to be an organ donor, because, as the law stands right now, they will need to give consent. Thinking and planning for the future can be scary, but you could be helping to save lives. One day the life being saved could be yours.
Projects Like Mine:
To see what other students have to say, go here: http://studentprojectsmakechange.blogspot.com/
