Organ TraffickingI watched in horror as a man from Israel described his organ donation ordeal on Anderson Cooper 360 last week. This man claimed that he was paid a hefty sum of $20,000 for his kidney! He was brought into the US to be a live donor for someone in need. Obviously, this person had the money to pay for it, and the transaction was completed.
At first, I felt defeated by this story. After all, I was the person that told people that this is not a standard practice. I told them that we need to trust the organ donation process. We need to debunk all of the misconceptions. This story put me back at square one! It also made me wonder if I was providing accurate information to the individuals that I encountered.
As I further processed this “new” issue, I contacted my friend, Cathi Arends. Cathi is the Director of Community Relations at Life Connection of Ohio. We often speak about the disparities in registering African American donors in my community. She is committed to changing this dynamic, and is working hard every day to do so.
During our conversation, she immediately put me at ease on one hand; and on the other, she urged me to continue this charge. She said that if there was not such a great need, there would be no organ trafficking. Unfortunately, because the demand is so great and the supply is so limited, it provides an opportunity for desperate individuals to circumvent a system that works for the good of all.
Cathi also stressed the importance of our community understanding that this issue involves living donation, not deceased donation. Unfortunately, many people may not make this distinction. It is important to note that more than four million Ohioans have registered as organ and tissue donors out of kindness and compassion for others, not for money or personal gain. With more than 3,000 Ohioans waiting, we cannot let this undermine our efforts. So, we still need to go about our business of educating, informing and communicating the importance of organ and tissue donation, particularly in the African American community.
While it is reported that there have been living kidney donors in hospitals paid for donating, it is yet to be determined if this is a widespread practice. Paying living donors for a kidney could grow because the U.S. does not have living or deceased donors to meet the increasing demands. This provides an opportunity for transplant centers to review their practices to prevent any future deception. Supporters of organ and tissue donation look forward to state and federal law enforcement intervention with those who seek to break the law.
Still, in my community, there are not many that I know that could afford to pay for these organs, should the opportunity be presented. Therefore, we are still at a disadvantage. The only way to fix this problem is to fix the problem of supply. We must consider becoming registered organ donors. It is important. More than 50% of those currently awaiting organs are African Americans. Most of us know someone that has been affected either by the need for an organ or by transplant.
If we do our part to increase the accessibility of organs and tissue in this country, I am certain that organ brokering will become obsolete. Please consider the option of giving the gift of life to someone in need. Believe me, it does make a difference.
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