Organ Donation Speech

Who here has a phone?

And if you bought new phone but kept old would you sell or just throw in bin?

Im pretty sure you would all sell it because throwing it away would be a waste, wouldn't it?

Well now let me ask you some more questions

If you saw a child struggling in a swimming pool, would you pull them out?

If you saw someone dying and knew how to administer CPR to save them, would you?

I think we all agree we wouldnt chuck away something that was valuable to us, nor would we stand idly by and watch someone die if we could prevent it so why would you let your valuable organs go to waste when you die?

Every day 3 people die whilst waiting for a sustainable donor organ. The NHS released figures showing that last year 457 people died whilst waiting for a sustainable donor transplant. The government wants change in order to increase organ donations whereby more donors could save the lives of 6,500 people currently on transplant waiting lists.

As it stands, a person must opt-in if they would like to donate their organs however this could soon change to an opt-out system. This proposed change means that the government will assume you want to donate your organs however if you dont, you simply have to tick a box online stating your intention. 

Hardly a big deal when you would spend time online and on the phone to a call centre and go to the post office to get a small amount of money from selling your old mobile phone.

2015, Wales passed this law and since then there have been dips in the amount of organs donated  but as it stands only 6% of the population has opted out.

In England, 80% of the population said they would become organ donors however only 36% actually signed up. The opt-out system would dramaticly increase the amount of organs donated in the country. 

Whilst i am not here to debate the morality of organ donation, I believe that its important to highlight some of the predominatn views and opinions on this subject and how the new system may affect these.

• Many people are scared or reluctant to discuss their own mortality and deciding whether or not to donate their organs is doing exactly that. However, this new legislation overcomes this problem as there would be no need to have the conversation in the first place. 

• Religion plays it's role as some religions and faiths oppose the act of donation
• An example of this are Gypsies who believe in the after life, where all parts of the body must remain intact for the soul to maintain its shape.
• Others believe it to be important to save lives, such as Judaism which states that organ donation supersedes any other rules relating to death.
• The opt-out system means you amy have to take action for your religious beliefs to be upheld

• Some may think that by assuming everyone to be donors is the government's way of owning you, this creates a totalitarian government.
• they are relying on the population to forget to opt-out and therefore remain donors however similar systems work well and are a way of helping people to contribute more positivly to society without much effort on their part, for example the Australian voting system.

• However, this law could prove to be of great importance for the country as it not only benefits present lives but also many future lives through the development of medical research.
• Medical students would be able to further their learning and new cures could be established through the donation of your organs

• It is quite difficult to comprehend how much of our bodies can be reused and recycled through the donation of organs.
• As a country we are obsessed with trying to increase recycling yet organs are a major form of this which no one thinks about.
• Without establishing this new legislation thousands of useful organs will carry on going to waste and even more people will die each year.

Now, lets bring it back to the proposed new legislation, whislt some people are frightened of change, it can in fact be good. Change is inevitable. Change can help us to develop to be a more giving society. Progress is impossible without change.

SO, 

Would you let your valuable organs go to waste or would you donate them to someone who desperatly needs them?

Would you sell your old mobile phone or would you just throw it in the bin?

Would you save a life or stand idly by?