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Brynli Whittaker

Jackie Burr, Instructor

English 2010, Section 2

11 February 2019

Open Letter Concerning Sophomores Receiving a Driver’s License

Dear Sophomores,

I grew up with a boy throughout elementary and junior high school who was just like me

and just like you, an average student, innocent to the experience of grief. Devastatingly, an

unexpected event took a toll on his life and he ended up losing his father in eighth grade. Fast

forward to sophomore year, still going to school together, and we are sitting in the same drivers

education class receiving the same presentation. We had a guest speaker informing us on the

upcoming decision we would have to be making that came with receiving a driver’s license. She

asked the question, “Does anyone here know someone who donated and organ?” Bravely, he

raised his hand and proceeded to explain how his father was a donor of a long list of organs. He

spoke about how he was proud to know that his father was able to help the lives of other people

especially since he experienced the pain of losing a loved one first hand. I don’t know the

individuals who graciously received this man’s organs, but the chances are high that they had

been on a waitlist for an unreasonable amount of time.

When I made the decision to check yes, I didn’t have to think twice. I probably would

have made this decision either way, but I was definitely influenced by the peer who I had grown

up with who was a proud son of someone who saved lives. And that’s the thing everyone needs

to understand. Whether it’s at school, at the mall, at the movie theatre, you walk past somebody

every day who has been affected negatively or positively through the process of organ donation.
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An unfortunate event could occur in anyone’s live where suddenly they or someone they love is

in need of an organ transplant. And if that time were to occur, the process is nowhere near as

easy as one, two, three. And that someone could be you. This isn’t meant to scare you, but

instead to make you understand the severity of the situation. My goal with this letter is to inform

you on why each individual should be receptive to the process of organ donation. One day, when

more people start choosing to be an organ donor, we could globally turn this process into

something instantly life changing, instead of having people die before they make it to the top of

the list.

There is a large majority of people who will probably say “of course I’m an organ donor

why wouldn’t I be?” But there are also people who instantly push away any information about

the topic because just the word “organs” disgusts them let alone thinking about them being

removed from their deceased body. But this issue is much to important for people to selfishly

push away the topic because it is gross to them. According to Chris Barry, an organ transplant

surgeon, 6,935 people are dying each year which is equivalent to 19 people per day, all because

they have to wait. One simple signature of one supportive individual could potentially save 8

lives and improve 50 lives. These are the lives of people who have children and loved ones

praying for their survival. “If you’re not an organ donor when you die, then you’re taking a lot of

people with you” (Barry).

If we want to increase the rate saving lives through organ transplants, then we must work

together globally. “Organ shortage is a global issue and deceased organ donation is the major

sustainable solution” (Srivastava). Through my research of factual information, I discovered

something that could easily be changed with the effort of education. Because of past racial

discrimination, black individuals are less supportive and/or educated on the idea of organ
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donations because they “received unequal treatment from doctors and in hospitals” (Williams).

We must do whatever it takes to increase the number of willing individuals and we are lacking in

a certain group of individuals because they are less aware of the process. Although it may be a

concern to some, doctors will not be less likely to save one’s live if the ill patient is an organ

donor. Every doctor’s first concern is the current life they are trying to save and in the chance

that that is not a possibility, then will then proceed to benefit the life of an individual in need if

the deceased one has said yes. In 2017, 10,000 deceased people donated organs, 6,800 who were

white and 1,600 who were black. The number of black donor’s could be drastically increased if

individuals took the time to learn about the subject and others also took the time to educate them

about it. It wouldn’t hurt for every person regardless of their past, gender, race, or age to take the

time to pay attention and research the difference they could make by saying yes.

Years of medical advancement have taken place to ensure better anti rejection drugs and

to enhance the system of matching patients to donor (Barone). Time and work has gone into

making this process something that is indeed life changing and now it is left in our hands, as

average people who could make a miraculous difference in so many lives, to accept the

opportunity. There are living donors everyday who donate organs that are not vital to their

existence that would not need to do so if their loved one wasn’t going to be put on a deadly

waiting list. So many lives are changed every time an organ transplant occurs. Not only will the

family of the patient be blessed, but the loved ones of the deceased are able to have closure

knowing that the lives of others were positively impacted and it will help with the acceptance of

their loss.

The amount of individuals dying today because they didn’t make it to the top of the

waitlist and maybe only missed by a few other people is unnecessary. The best thing every
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individual can do is become educated on the topic, understand that they are entering the chance

to save lives after theirs is over, and then make the decision that they believe it is life changing

and the best option for everyone. As you are about to turn sixteen years old and you will soon

have to make the decision of checking yes or no, remember that you have the potential to save

lives and impact hundreds of individuals in need of help.

Works Cited

Srivastava, Aneesh, and Anil Mani. “Deceased Organ Donation and Transplantation in India:

Promises and Challenges.” Neurology India, vol. 66, no. 2, Mar. 2018, pp. 316–322.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.4103/0028-3886.227259.

“A Donation Disparity.” U.S. News - The Report, Sept. 2018, pp. C8–C11. EBSCOhost,
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search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=131910662&site=ehost-live.

Barone, Emily. “50 Years on, New Hearts Still Don’t Come Easy.” Time, vol. 190, no. 24, Dec.

2017, pp. 16–17. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=126507301&site=ehost-live.

Barry, Chris. “Giving the Gift of Life Through Organ Donation.” Youtube, TEDxFlourCity, 11,

Aug. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UigBNjBLByc.