As of 10:00 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2009, 100,817 names were listed as awaiting a new organ, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network’s (OPTN) website. To put this growing number into perspective, The Saturday Evening Post of Dec. 1989 reported that at that time, the wait list was at 17,000 individuals. That is a 590 percent increase in the past twenty years.

OK, now I know what you’re thinking. Organ donation? Really? You may claim you’ve heard it before, but the fact remains that only 35 percent of Americans are organ donors, as reported by the 2008 Journal of Health Communication. The Dec. 17, 2008 New York Times asserted that the transplant list exceeded 100,000 names for the first time in history this past October.

As we continue to live longer, diagnose diseases earlier and treat our bodies worse and worse, we will only continue to watch this number grow. When the Washington Times of Jan. 15, 2008 asserted that ?the number of ailing patients who would benefit from transplants continues to far outweigh supply,? it became increasingly imperative for you and your loved ones to become better informed about this subject and to become organ donors.

From the supermarket tabloids to talk radio, Americans are subjected to many misconceptions about organ and tissue donation and transplantation. In order to combat the number of uninformed people regarding organ donation procedures, the Mayo Clinic released an article on April 4, 2008 outlining the main myths which deter people from organ donation.

One popular myth is if the doctors know you’re an organ donor, they won’t work as hard to save you. In reality, a doctor’s number one priority is to save your life. Organ donation can only be considered after you are declared brain dead. Individuals who have agreed to organ donation are actually given more tests to determine that they are truly dead.

If you believe that you can’t have an open casket funeral if you are an organ donor, you are mistaken. Organ and tissue donation doesn’t interfere with having an open-casket funeral. The donor’s body is clothed for burial, so there are no visible signs of organ or tissue donation. For eye donation, an artificial eye is inserted, the lids are closed and no one can tell the difference.

We often forget that organ donation is about giving life, but the statistics convince us otherwise. The Washington Post of Jan. 19, 2009 asserts that each day, 18 individuals will lose their fight and their place on the waiting list due to the shortage of donors. There are two personal causes as to why individuals do not donate their organs. First, when you pass away, your family is presented with a sheet asking for the donation of your organs. The OPTN reports that in most states, even with a signed donor card, indication of your wishes on your driver?s license or your name on the donor registry, it is still up to your family to give the final consent.

Unfortunately, only 50 percent of families today choose to donate the organs of a deceased loved one, leaving hundreds of thousands of healthy organs buried each year. Second, Americans, and especially those who are earning their driver’s license for the first time, have an immortal mental complex. Let’s be honest, no one wants to think about death, so we neglect having discussions about topics such as our organs. We neglect to think about our personal wishes regarding organ donation because we believe we have many more years to live and believe nothing can harm us.

Because the transplant society states on their website that the organs donated from one individual can save up to eight lives, if you convince 10 individuals to sign a donor card, you could save 80 lives. After you have made your decision to save lives and become an organ donor, it is imperative to talk with your family about your decision. If you tell your loved ones about your decision to donate your organs, they will have no hesitation or guilty feelings when the time comes to decide.

Racial minorities are especially encouraged to donate because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explains on its website that African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics and Native Americans have a particularly high need for organ transplants. This is the case because some kidney, heart, lung, pancreatic and liver diseases are found more frequently in racial and ethnic minority populations.

When you donate your organs, you give someone the most precious gift—a chance to live! After becoming better informed about this growing problem, please speak with your family and friends and encourage them to sign a donor card to save a life. I realize that you are still alive now, but it is imperative to decide and take action today in order to become an organ donor. Please sign a donor card; consider your wishes and you will save lives.