“To the world you can be a person, but to a person you can be the world.” (Anonymous) Why should people donate? People should donate organs and blood because one organ can save up to eight lives. The same donor can save or improve the lives of fifty people. (Unknown) More than 119,000 people are waiting for a transplant each year, and that's just in the United States. (Unknown) Eighteen people die every day while waiting for organ and/or blood transplants. (Unknown) Every year thousands of people die due to the need for an organ transplant or blood donation. (Unknown) Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be dead to be a donor! You can be a living donor! To be a living donor you must be over the age of twenty-one, complete a training course called "Donor 101" and have a body mass index, also known as "BMI", under thirty. The transplant must also be approved by a transplant surgeon and a financial coordinator. (Anonymous) If you meet these requirements, you should be good, but there are also some things that might disqualify you. For example, if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes or pre-diabetes, are at a weight that qualifies as obese, show signs of heart disease, have any type of cancer, have the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are active on intravenous (IV) medications or are men who have been in prison within the last six months. When it comes to organ and blood donations, patients are placed on a waiting list. Every ten minutes a new person is added to the list. (Unknown) Factors that determine whether you're next in line for a transplant range from the patient's severity and how long they've been on the waiting list, to blood... middle of the paper... ..it's life ! Make today the day you choose to be someone's hero! Internet sources: http://www.donatelifeny.org/about-donation/http://www.thenationalnetworkoforgandonors.org/https://www.memorialmedical.com/Services /Transplant-Services/Living-Donation/?gclid= CLGy0qKihboCFYxaMgod5W8AqQInterview sources: Michelle L. FriedenVernel OppeVideo sources: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/ohio-nurse-throws-kidney-siblings-sue-botched- transplant-20116561Article sources: http://articles. chicagotribune.com/2000-07-12/news/0007120151_1_uniform-anatomical-gift-act-liver-transplant-organ-or-tissue http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013 -02-11/news/ct-tl -naperville-zuleg-foundation-20130211_1_organ-donation-organ-donors-donor-registrieshttp://www.northjersey.com/community/147273455_Jefferson_resident_honored_with_2012__Ray_of_Hope__Award.html?c=y&page=1