Importance of Organ Donation - Essay Example

It might be true that living donors experience financial problems because of their altruistic behavior (Alvaro & Siegel, 2009). For instance, an organ donor can incur costs such as traveling and accommodation. However, being an organ donor is very elemental in life (Stevens, 2008). Donation of an organ saves a life. Organ donation has contributed immensely to the health sector. Organ donation has significantly lowered the number of deaths that were associated with the failure of main organs such as the heart and liver. In connection with this, some people claim that organ donors lose their income in addition to failing to provide care to their children because of the complications that result from donating an organ (Garg, 2006). Such assertions might be right, but it is also evident that organ donation improves the lives of over 50 people depending on the type of organs donated (Alvaro & Siegel, 2009). For instance, the lives of most people with organ failures are improved through the transplantation of organs such as kidneys, eyes, and bones. Thus, it is through the donor’s donation of such organs that recipients manage to resume their lifestyles.

Some people also associate organ donation with the occurrence of traumatic disorders. According to them, the loss of the donated organ together with the life of the recipient makes a donor develop traumatic disorders. Such assertions might be true because of a lack of understanding of what would have been done to save that lost life. It is also true that a donor risks his or her life when choosing by donating an organ. However, it is evident that families of the deceased who became a donor feel relieved from the pain of losing a loved one by associating the deceased with the saving of other lives. Thus, it is evident that the donation of organs by an individual helps his or her family during the grieving process. “From the health care system perspective kidney transplantation, and especially live donor kidney transplantation, results in longer life” (Stevens, 2008, p.21); thus, it is evident that the life of an organ donor is prolonged because of donating an organ.

Some people claim that the donation of organs results in the occurrence and persistence of the donor’s discomfort. According to them, an organ donor undergoes unique psychological issues when making decisions regarding the donation of an organ. They also claim that organ donors feel bad in addition to suffering psychological torture when the recipient of the organ dies even after being provided with the demanded organ. On the other hand, Marcos, Shapiro, and Tan (2007) argue that organ donation results in psychological consequences such as the gain of a sense of “mattering” to the donor. In other words, it is the donation of an organ that makes the donor develops a feeling that he or she has done something crucial to saving or improving the life of a fellow human being. In connection to this, it is evident that society consists of heroes and heroines who risked their lives for the sake of saving other people’s lives. According to Marcos, Shapiro, and Tan (2007), organ donors are respected very much in society. The respect given to them is a result of the altruistic behavior they portrayed in donating their organs. Some people claim that organ transplantation is prone to rejection because of incompatibility. They further argue that the disposal of the rejected organs leaves the donor overworking the remaining organ (Marcos, Shapiro & Tan, 2007). These claims might be true, but organ donation is also associated with societal advantages. Most societies consider the people who have donated their organs as selfless people who need to be emulated by other members of the community. It is also evident that organ donors receive respect from the members of the community because of their contribution to the cost of recipients’ medication. The high cost of buying an organ often leads to many people losing their lives before undergoing any treatment. Thus, the donation of an organ leads the families of the recipient as well as other members of society to respect the organ donor.

In conclusion, the donation of an organ involves the transplantation of an organ from a donor to the recipient. Organ donation is associated with the causation of psychological issues in addition to exposing the donor to danger. However, organ donation has many advantages and disadvantages for the donor. Organ donation enables a donor to save a life. The process of organ donation also allows the donor to improve the life of a person. Organ donation is also associated with the occurrence of self-acceptance as a savior as well as societal respect for the donor. Organ donors also manage to reduce the cost involved in the medication of recipients. Additionally, the donation of an organ helps families during the grieving period; it strengthens them by proving the contribution of the deceased toward saving another life. Read More