The Cause and Effect on Prohibiting Organ Sells in America

Bonnie Reese

Grand Canyon University

ENG-106

Professor Neese

11-18-2020
 The Cause and Effect on Prohibiting Organ Sells in America

To make a difference in the world, it takes courage from willing people to push the

traditional boundaries. In 1991 there were 24,000 patients on the donor list, and 16,000

transplants were performed (Gershlak, 2018). In 2015, 118,000 patients on the waiting list, and

31,000 patients received a transplant; the number of organs needed to perform these transplants

was high. In 1954 the united states successfully conducted their first organ transplant, a kidney

transplant (Beard et al. 2007). Ironically the donor was a twin sister of the recipient (Beard et al.,

2007). In America, we can sell blood, bone marrow, plasma, and now Covid-19 plasma. Those

who have fully recovered from COVID-19 can help infected covid-19 patients by donating their

plasma (Office of the Commissioner, 2020). Every 12 minutes, the transplant list adds another

victim to the list, and an estimation of 21 people die per day waiting for an organ that never

comes due to shortages (Decoding Science Staff, 2019). If there are ongoing issues with supply

and demand, why is the problem not discussed on a broader level? In 2006 USA Today

performed an investigation report on illegal harvesting of organs, and the information exposed

that illegal harvesting is worthwhile due to the high need for demand (Decoding Science Staff,

2019). America's issues are a direct result of the government placing strict laws and guidelines

on organ selling. For fear of exploiting the poor, America banned the sale of organs in the United

States, which increased health care expenses, decreased the number of organs available for

donors, and forces the desperate citizens to turn to the black-market trade for alternative

solutions.

The majority of Americans can agree that there is a high demand for organs, and the

result of this issue causes many deaths each year. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention

(2020) reports that Texas has the highest mortality rates for kidney disease in the United States.
Houston (2019) wrote that over 20,000 kidney transplant surgeries were performed; based on the

evidence, the cost totaled to over 8 billion dollars. Think about it, a father of four young kids

passes away from kidney disease. The father enrolled in the opt-in program; therefore, the father

agreed to donate his organs to the transplant organization. Organs donated will be distributed to

those in need, and the recipient pays large amounts of money to receive the lifesaving organ. The

father of four leaves behind a stay-at-home wife with four kids to raise, feed, send off to college,

etc. Hospital costs average up to 900,000.00 per transplant; this includes room and board,

nursing care, and more (Houston, 2019). Large businesses are profiting off the organizations;

hospitals are in the business of saving lives (Houston,2019), but at what costs? It is illegal to

purchase organs in the United States or receive any financial compensation for donating your

organs, but the organizations' leadership can? The father of four dies and has nothing to leave his

struggling family, but the hospitals and the organizations are massively benefiting from his

organs. The family receives nothing. The recipient goes into debt and spends the rest of his/her

life paying off the debt, and the donor receives no compensation leaving a family behind to

struggle. Hospitals and leaders financially are compensated. People disagree with the proponent

of financial incentives stating this persuades the poor to sacrifice too much and that the rich

would acquire organs ahead of the poor (Cohen, 2005). The prosperous society is not allowed to

benefit; the low-income culture receives no compensation, so the only ones permitted to benefit

are the corporations and healthcare? Women receive money for selling their bodies in Las Vegas.

Americans receive payment for donating their blood, bone marrow, and plasma, but selling an

organ after death and receiving compensation to leave to your loved ones is illegal. If a person is

deceased, no longer breathing, how can honor their requests to sell their organs to those in need

and compensating the donor's love ones he or she leaves behind, exploiting the poor? There are
many unanswered questions on this topic. Educating people, addressing the American people's

concerns, and finding a policy that benefits everyone will lower the cost of transplant procedures.

The number of organ sales has increased, and the number of organs donated yearly does

not match the demand. Organ deficiency is a severe issue in America and Americans need to do

better and provide better resources. Allowing organs to be sold in America for compensation to

those or those loved ones left behind would increase the supply of organ to transplant ratio.

There are countries like Australia that have a default organ harvest program. If the unfortunate

patients die and the organs are viable, and if the patient did not opt-out of the default program,

their organs are donated ("Opt-Out" Policies Increase Organ Donation | SPARQ, 2012). The opt-

out program has Increased the number of organs available for transplantation. On the other side

of the debate, humanity recognizes those with religious beliefs, beliefs in burial, and citizens

who are against cremation. The United States could not be labeled free if the leaders force

regulations upon those to sacrifice their religious beliefs, their right to determine how their body

will rest when they die. Reference the word rest; resting is what believers do until Jesus Christ

returns. Cohen (2005) spent 26 years fighting the battle to compensate donors for their organs to

increase the supply. Cohen (2005) now has an entirely different perspective on fighting this

useless battle. Cohen (2005) stated that his endeavors to change the laws and expand organs'

supply have been unsuccessful. Think about this; the family loses their loved one. If the deceased

signed up to donate their organs, the responsible party is responsible for preparing the funeral,

medical expenses, the loved one's debt, and financial obligations they left behind. If America

allowed organ sales with strict guidelines, there would be a massive influx of organs available

for transplantation.
 How far will a parent go to save their dying child? There are miracle stories people hear

about, about mothers with super strength lifting cars off their children, etc. The connection

between a parent and their child is a beautiful relationship given to all humans by God. A mother

desperate to provide for her children offered to sell her organs to get her kids treatment (Boyer,

2012). What if the mother lived in a country that allowed the sale of organs? Would the mothers

still have to sacrifice her life to save the lives of their children? Families and individuals grow

tired of spending years on a medical waiting list; they become desperate to save their own lives

or the lives of their loved ones and sometimes purchase body parts – kidneys, eyes, lungs, heart,

limbs, and more – for transplant on the black market (DecodingScience Staff, 2019). An

unfortunate problem that the entire world faces is the people's criminal behavior desperate to

save a life. An investigation was done in 2006 and found that illegal body harvesting is

advantageous in the U.S. because of the high demand for body parts (DecodingScience Staff,

2019). Take a look at the world in 2020 during the pandemic. The COVID-19 virus has people

desperately fearful for survival that they are preparing for the end of the world and buying

copious amounts of toilet paper, food, paper towels, and so on. When humans are slapped in the

face with their depression due to lockdowns, job losses, inabilities to support their families, they

will go to any extent to survive to save themselves or their loved ones (Survival mode).

DecodingScience Staff (2019) reported the downfall best from 1987- 2006, over 16,800 families

filed lawsuits because they believed that their loved one's body parts were illegally sold.

Americans should have the right to decide to sell or not to sell; this would slow down the crime

of selling and buying organs on the black market. Desperate family members would have an

organized, legal resource to turn to for help. Preventing black market trade on organs can be

done if the right person in power can formulate a policy on organ selling and buying in America.
 Overall, there is a pandemic for the need for organs. The touchy topic can view from

many people's point of view, but as a whole, all can agree that the world loses too many loved

ones each year due to organ failures. God created humanity, and as Jesus would do, we owe our

savior and fellow brothers and sisters the duty to protect, love, and fight one another. If all of

humanity came together and formulated a policy for organ donation and selling, it would lower

healthcare costs, inflate the organ donation supply, and lower the crime rates in black market

organ sales.
 References

Beard, T. R., Jackson, J. D., & Kaserman, D. L. (2007). The Failure of U.S. Organ Procurement

Policy: "how many deaths will it take 'til we know that too many people have

died?" Regulation, 30(4).

Boyer, J. R. (2012). Gifts of the Heart…and Other Tissues: Legalizing the Sale of Human

Organs and Tissues. Brigham Young University Law Review, 2012(1), 313–

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Center for disease control and prevention. (2020, April 29). Stats of the States - Kidney Disease

Mortality. Www.Cdc.Gov.

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Cohen, L. R. (2005). Directions for the disposition of my (and your) vital organs: now, there is

an indisputable cost for continuing the prohibition on organ markets. Regulation, 3, 32.

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Decoding Science Staff. (2019, November 12). Organ Harvesting, Human Trafficking, and the

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Gershlak, J. R. (2018). Engineering New Tissues and Organs: How We Can Eliminate the

Massive Organ Shortage in the United States. Journal of Health & Biomedical Law, 1,
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Houston, J. (2019). Why organ transplants are so expensive in the U.S. Business Insider.

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Opt-Out" Policies Increase Organ Donation | SPARQ. (2012). Stanford.Edu.

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