The human race has produced villains and heroes, and oppressors and liberators. One of the good traits that man possesses is the ability to give to others. When we donate, it is usually an unselfish act. We give up something so that it will improve the lives of others.

People who have achieved a lot in life have also given generously. Just look at the size and breath of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This couple and people like them have given large sums of their personal wealth to help others.

While in no way trying to diminish the kindness and generosity of Bill Gates and people like him, there’s another form of donating that is even of a higher calling, that is losing a part of yourself to help someone else live. This is literal giving of self because that’s what happens when people donate their organs to save the lives of others. 

These are not about people who have died in a car accident and their organs were donated. This in itself is a noble act about healthy living individuals who give up an organ so that others may live.

Take the case of Ronald Lee Herrick, who in 1954 at the young age of 23, donated one of his kidneys to save the life of his brother Richard. His brother managed to live for another 8 years because of the transplant. This was the first successful kidney transplant which paved the way for other successful kidney and other organ transplants. 

Herrick could have refused doing it because it had failed before and there was no record of any success in organ transplant. Why should he waste his organ if there’s no guarantee that his brother would live? He did it anyway and as they say: the rest is history.

There are ethical issues with regards to organ donation; but as a whole, organ donation has been accepted by society with donations from dead and living persons going on regularly. However, there has been abuse toowith people selling their organs out of poverty.

Perhaps when we leave this world our organs can help someone else. Suppose you were confronted with issue if you would be willing to donate one of your organs to save another person. would you do it?