Group promotes sharing of organs

To the editor:

Regarding "Rose, ribbon ceremony honors organ donors": Ruth Boxdorfer was very lucky to get a liver transplant. More than half of the people who need an organ transplant in the United States die before they get one. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans donate only about half of the organs that could save lives and relieve suffering. They bury or cremate the rest.

The shortage of human organs for transplant operations kills over 6,000 Americans every year. The solution is simple: If you don't agree to donate your organs when you die, then you go to the back of the waiting list if you ever need an organ to live.

A grass-roots group of organ donors called LifeSharers is making this idea a reality one member at a time. LifeSharers is a nonprofit network of organ donors. Members agree to donate their organs when they die, but they give fellow members first dibs on their organs. This creates a pool of organs available first to members. The existence of this pool gives other people an incentive to sign donor cards and join the network, and this incentive grows stronger as the network expands.

Anyone who wants to donate organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers at http://www.lifesharers.com.

DAVID J. UNDIS

Executive Director

LifeSharers

Nashville