Reality TV Extreme - Win a Kidney!

Seems like every once in a while, there is a show (in this case, a confirmed hoax) that really sparks worldwide condemnation even if it actually serves a greater good.

The State of Organ Donations

People around the world are truly upset at how a TV show by Dutch TV channel BNN, which also created “Big Brother”, could have even done such an evil thing as possibly awarding a much needed organ for our entertainment but let’s look at some (although dated) very sobering facts.

USA

• There is a constant critical shortage of organs, in 2002 out of the 80 thousand waiting patience, less then 13 thousand organs where made available
• Organ transplantation waiting lists are growing at a faster rate then that of organ donation
• In 2001, over 6 thousand people DIED waiting for a much needed organ

Canada

• Between 1996 and 2000, waiting lists grew 62% while number of transplants grew by just 22%
• By 2001, there where almost 4 thousand patients waiting for organs
• In 1999, 170 people waiting for an organ died due to their condition which represented 40% of those ON the list

Organ Donation Rates (worldwide)

• USA: 22 per million
• Canada: 15 per million
• Europe: 15 per million

Let’s put this into perspective

In 2001, there where a reported 2,416,425 deaths reported in the United States, which includes 6 thousand waiting transplant patients representing 0.2% of this total. Based on this, more people died simply WAITING for an organs to be made available to them than almost twice the number that died during the September 11th terrorists attacks in New York City, yet, where is the worldwide outcry? Where is the hundreds of billions of fresh investment into educational and alternative technologies that benefit the health of ALL of mankind? Where are the UN resolutions upon resolutions casting a solid mandate towards solving this solvable problem? Where is the leadership? The sad fact is, diseases and health simply are NOT a high priority until they are needed by those in power. If you keep tabs on the marketing you see around you and you will quickly realize that there is far MORE money spent by companies promoting alcohol and tobacco consumption to the general public then those promoting healthy lifestyles!

What does all this mean?

If you believe in God, screw asking for a great afterlife, if you are in need of a transplantation, ask to live long enough for a donor to become available!

BNN Chairman defends the show

I don’t know if at the end of the show, the hoax was simply a way out of the controversy or the original intent was to actually award the organ, but I am happy that once again, a REAL AND GROWING problem has been pushed to the forefront around the world. As the chairman of BNN (Laurens Drillich) states while defending the show from the great criticism he and his network has received:

“At least in this case… the contestants in the show have a 33 percent chance of getting a new kidney. They would have to wait much longer in real life for the same deal.”

I couldn’t agree more!

Solutions

I do know that this is a Worldwide problem, some governments have decided to pursuit a “sign if you DON’T want to be a donor” instead of the conventional “sign if you DO want to be a donor” with great success. There is also the emergence of “living donors” for such items as kidneys but the problem is that a few years alter, these donors may themselves need a transplant. There IS a black market in third world countries for organs including China where “inmates” are routinely made available to wealthy individuals for organ transplantation before their execution.

The Bottom Line

Organ transplantation is the easiest sacrifice you could ever make as they no purpose to you once your dead. I always sign my organ donation card, do you?

References:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ICF/is_1_30/ai_n18615365
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14570230