Giving of Another Sort

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. Mine was nice and relaxing. My sister and I headed to New Jersey and spent Christmas with a good friend.

So I decided to give you guys a break from my whinings about the application process for a minute and ask a question that I've been trying to answer myself. A somewhat uncomfortable question.

Have you ever heard of the organization called UNOS aka the GOD committee? Everyday this committee literally has to sit down and decide who they will give life to and who will literally die from their long list. A pretty tough job especially when you realize that these deaths could probably all be avoided if only more people checked one or two conveniently located check-boxes.

I haven't checked them either and I keep asking myself why? It's right there behind my driver's license and I pretty much pretend it's not. Tons of people go to the grave daily with valuable organs that could be gifted to one person on this long list of people waiting for a kidney, a heart or sometimes an eye. Of course many people site different reasons for not donating their organs and many of them are valid. But not only are people dying from this shortage, a black market has developed around the world where organs are being traded and stolen from unsuspecting people. I know it's almost the New Year and the last thing anyone wants to think of is death but I can't help but think of the John Q's of this world who are praying for a miracle for their son also for the New Year. In this case, the harvest COULD BE plentiful but the land is not yielding its wealth so the villagers die of starvation.

Why do you think people are so reluctant to donate their organs? I guess the question is why are you and I reluctant and if you already indicated yourself as a donor, what motivated you to? Would we be more willing if there was some kind of compensation(especially for non-vital organs)? Your responses are extremely appreciated.