In Virginia, 2 people die every week while waiting for an organ donation. We offered this data point last year for Donate Life Month as part of our annual effort to encourage people to become organ donors. But that number still sticks with me. It's why I'm digging this out for this month's Out of the Archives reflection.
Humans by Head Count
It's impossible to talk about the value of human life in terms of numbers. And yet, we all do it, every day. We deal in statistics to manage risk, understand scale, and decide where to invest or donate our money. We summarize events in terms of how many people attended. Graphs and charts that list percentages of survivors for various conditions translate into a measurement of success or failure.
Organ Donation Saves Lives
So, to say 2 people die a week in Virginia may not sound like a lot. Yet when it comes to organ transplant, it feels enormous to me. That's because so many people could benefit from a living organ donation. And so many others could live if only people signed up to be organ donors when they die.
You Too Could Be an Organ Donor
This woman saved a baby's life. Here she walks through her donation experience.
What's Stopping You?
Organ donation strikes me as miraculous. Like blood donation, we have this very real, visceral opportunity to save the lives of other human beings, at a very low cost to our own lives. At a time when many of us feel overwhelmed by the wars and disasters around the world, about which we feel helpless, here's an action you can take that will absolutely make a difference to others.
Learn more about organ donation.
