Mikayla Locke

COM 202

April 17, 2017

Persuasive Speech

Organ Donation

Thesis: The supply of organs is not meeting demand. Every day 22 people die waiting for a lifesaving
transplant. Organ donation has a great impact on the health of many people as one person can save up
to 8 lives. Presumed consent is one way to increase the supply of organs.

Introduction: The first solid organ donation took place in 1954 when a living donor gave his identical
twin a kidney. In 1962 the first kidney, lung, and liver transplants were performed from deceased
donors. And the first organ recovery from a brain dead donor took place in 1963 (organdonor.gov) Now,
all of these statistics may seem quite morbid, however organ donors save lives and gives hope to
families and patients. ABC news covered a story in February 2017 about a grieving mother who met the
child whose life was saved thanks to the donation of her daughters heart. Amber Travaglio says that she
felt like [her] child was there because she knows a part of Melody lives on in Peyton. Travaglio hopes
that her daughters story will inspire others to become organ donors as your loved ones legacy can
endure and give life to others.

Transition: Who in this room is a registered organ donor by a show of hands? (count, 1 donor can save 8
lives)

Body:

First Point: Organ Donation

Statistic
o One person can donate up to 8 lifesaving organs
Deceased
o Begins with a decision to help save people by donating your organs when you die.
o People most frequently become donors after a stroke, heart attack or severe head injury
o Common myth: if they see Im a donor at the hospital, they wont try to save my life.
Fact: when at hospital the one priority is saving your life. Donation doesnt become a
possibility until all lifesaving methods have failed.
o
Living
o To spare patients a long and uncertain wait, relatives, loved ones, friends, and
anonymous donors can serve as living donors.
o According to UNOS united network of organ sharing, in 2016 nearly 6,000 transplants
were made possible by living donors
o Directed donation
o Non-directed donation
o Paired donation
Second Point: Statistics (organ procurement and transplantation network)

As of Tuesday, April 18, 2017 118,141 people need a lifesaving organ transplant. 75,888 of those
are active candidates
8,365 transplants performed in 2017 so far
3,947 total donors as of January 2017
Every 10 minutes someone added to list
22 people die each day waiting for a transplant
Organdonor.gov 95% of U.S. adults support organ donation but only 48% are actually signed
up as donors.

Third Point: Opportunities for Action Committee on Increasing Rates of Organ Donation (2006)

Organ shortage (chart)

Many opportunities to increase donors
o Book published by the Committee on Increasing Rates of Organ Donation in 2006
o Quality improvements for transplant and donation process
o Expand population of potential donors
o Promoting individual and family decisions
Presumed consent from express consent
o Study in UK

Conclusion: Organ donation is a lifesaving act of generosity for both living individuals and those whose
time has come. The discrepancy between the many patients on the waiting list and the number of
donors and transplants is continuing to grow. You can make a decision today that could save lives and
give hope to families and patients around the country.

Audience: My audience is a room full of college students who may be made up of some organ donors. As
adults who drive they have the opportunity to register to be an organ donor when they renew their
license, and I would like to provide them with information to help them make that decision.

General purpose: Inform my audience about organ donation and persuade them to become donors.

Specific purpose: Question the organ donation policy in the U.S. and persuade audience to become
organ donors and provide a plan for presumed consent.
 References

Childress, J. F., & Liverman, C. T. (2006). Organ Donation: Opportunities for Action. Institute of Medicine.

Deceased Donation. Retrieved from https://www.unos.org/donation/basic-path-to-donation/

Living Donation. Retrieved from https://www.unos.org/donation/living-

donation/?gclid=CKD43uy6rtMCFQtMDQodHCALow

Organ Donation Myths and Facts. Retrieved from https://www.organdonor.gov/about/facts-

terms/donation-myths-facts.html

Organ Donation Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.organdonor.gov/statistics-

stories/statistics.html

Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Retrieved from https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/

Pelletiere, N. (2017, February 17). Grieving mom meeting little girl whose beating heart came from her
daughter. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/grieving-mom-meets-girl-beating-
heart-daughter/story?id=45508471

Rithalia, A., McDaid, C., Suekarran, S., Myers, L., & Sowden, A. (2009). Impact of presumed consent for
organ donation on donation rates: a systematic review. British Medical Journal.
doi:10.1136/bmj.a3162

Timeline of Historical Events and Significant Milestones. Retrieved from

https://www.organdonor.gov/about/facts-terms/history.html