Myles Munroe once said, “The value of life is not in its duration but in its donation. You are not important because of how long you live; you are important because of how effective you live.”
Holding onto this, let’s hypothesise that you signed up for cornea donation after your demise. Now, just contemplate on how your beneficence restored the ‘gift of sight’ to individuals allowing them to once again witness sunset hues, impeccable and magnificent as any of Pablo Picasso’s artwork — all whilst bestowing an indescribable feeling of solace upon you.
The donor has the potential to provide the patient with a new ray of light when all their future’s painted with fog, but sadly, many remain oblivious to it. One individual can save multiple lives via tissue donations, up to eight lives through organ donation (one heart, two lungs, two kidneys, liver, pancreas and intestines) and nine, if the liver’s split under quintessential circumstances.
So, unquestionably isn’t donation the better alternative in contrast to having your organs and tissues be disposed of? And if this doesn’t persuade you to sign up for this profoundly spiritual act and experience this incredible feeling of what it feels like to be a donor either within this lifetime or after by saving a life afterlife, I don’t know what will.
However, today, we still face an astonishing scarcity of donor organs in circulation as donations still happen to be stigmatised, making the supply-demand ratio unpropitious and ultimately leading to death. Thus, the healthcare networks, government, newspaper, media, internet, places of employment and education systems should diligently work towards debunking the circumambient myths and misconceptions and disseminating awareness. The establishment of an incentive system and implementation of relevant legislation can also bring forth change by reshaping public attitudes towards donation.
The lack of donors is real and destructive, but our collective efforts to make a difference are just as real and equally defiant in the face of the challenge.
Thus, I would like to leave you with a short message from Michael Jordan: “Please make the decision to become an organ and tissue donor. Remember: Share your life. Share your decision.”