You may not spend your precious little free time pondering how the medical establishment determines who receives a donated human organ, much less whether that system is fair. But it is a safe assumption that these will become REALLY important questions if you or a loved one suddenly find yourself in need of a life-saving transplant. That makes the next five minutes you spend reading this post perhaps the most life-saving five minutes you may ever spend.
Dave Undis scratched his head because what he heard did not make sense. Approximately 100,000 people are on an organ donation waiting list. Half will die waiting. Half of all transplants will go to people who are not willing to donate their own organs. In other words, they are willing to take from the system but not give back.
Dave was about to retire and decided to devote his retirement years to creating a solution that would resolve the inequity caused by what he identified as an unfair system. In May 2002, Dave created LifeSharers, a non-profit network of organ donors who promise to donate their organs upon their death and allow other LifeSharers members first access to their organs. Members receive first access to organs in the event they require a transplant. Dave was smart, he made it a free service and one that works even if you are already a registered organ donor, for example, on your driver’s license. Since then, Nobel Prize Laureate Milton Friedman, John Stossel of ABC’s 20/20 fame, and many others have openly endorsed Dave’s innovation as a valuable resource everyone should join.
How It Works
Anyone can become a member by signing up through the LifeSharers.org website. There is no exclusion for any pre-existing medical condition. This is one of the greatest differentiators of the program. Dave says the reason for this is very simple: the definition for what is or is not a transplantable organ continues to evolve, and it is impossible to predict what will or will not be transplantable when your time comes. In our interview, Dave explained that surgeons are transplanting organs today that five years ago they would have rejected. I was shocked to learn that even HIV infected patients can donate their organs. The donated organs go to HIV infected recipients. Japanese physicians are now harvesting organs from cancer patients, treating the organs with radiation and then transplanting them in cancer-free patients. That particular practice is not yet allowed in the US, but it makes his point well. The line that defines what can and cannot be done continues to move.
When a LifeSharers member needs an organ, rather than potentially die waiting on a long list that consists of people who would not agree to donate their own organs, the member is provided first access to organs available through the LifeSharers membership. Dave was quick to point out that members always retain the right to donate directly to their family members.
The irony, according to Dave, is that only about 15,000 people die each year in such a manner conducive to organ harvesting, and approximately half are not organ donors. So, each of us is far more likely to need an organ than we are to die in a way that results in our organs being donated. Combine this with the large number of people on the national list who themselves will not register as organ donors and you can see why the shortage continues to grow. LifeSharers hopes to eliminate the shortage, and the natural process by which they do that drives those willing to donate to the top of the list and those who are unwilling to donate to the bottom of the list.
What I Like
Anyone could have done this. You’ll see this characteristic acknowledged by me as often as it occurs. It is a great reminder that people can make a difference by committing to a creative vision and executing a plan. No special invention required.
It is FREE and you sign up ONLINE. I did it in five minutes. It is easy and the site is a resource rich with information.
NO EXCLUSION FOR PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. This recognizes the forward movement of medical advancement and looks for what CAN be done, not what cannot be done.
It grows the overall pie of donors. The more who become members, the more organs that are available, and the lower the shortage.
It is fair. I agree that people who are willing to donate should have a better place in line compared to those who only want to take from the system and will not contribute to others. This is especially true when you consider that the math says we are far more likely to need an organ than we are to actually donate one.
You can sign up your kids. This is a tough one to contemplate, but if you think about it, how would you like to be in a situation where your child needs a transplant but has to wait in a longer line at greater risk? If you could spend 5 minutes and lower that risk for free, why not?
Dave’s Advice To Other Innovators
Dave says it has been far more difficult to get the word out than he expected. LifeSharers is entirely dependent upon charitable donations and a volunteer workforce. He advises raising more money than you think you need, sooner than you think you need it.
This topic is a difficult one and Dave believes that contributes to his single greatest struggle: getting the word out that LifeSharers even exists.
For those of you in the process of starting your own non-profit organization, Dave suggests taking advantage of some great free or near-free resources to keep your expenses low. Specifically, he recommends:
TechSoup.com - Provides deeply discounted technology products for non-profits
PrimoPDF - Provides free software that turns anything you can print into a PDF file
Blogger.com and WordPress.com - Provides free blogging software
Google Analytics - Provides free statistics about visitors to your web site
Real Player - New versions can download and save any video streamed over
the internet
Vallen e-Mailer - Free email software that sends emails to large lists of
people (available at www.vallen.de)
CafePress.com - Sell products with your logo without worrying about
inventory
WebSite magazine - A free magazine about getting the most out of a website
How Innovativeeconomy.com Readers Can Help LifeSharers
LifeSharers could really benefit from some advice and help from our readers. I encourage you to think about this for a moment and determine if you can help in any of the following ways:
1. LifeSharers’ number one problem is getting the word out. This type of organization makes an interesting strategic alliance opportunity, because other organizations can help get the word out and benefit in the process. Think about Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA. If you know someone in either of these organizations who could give this opportunity the visibility it needs to be properly considered, a quick phone call from you could make a great difference. Other non-profits may also make good partners.
2. Messaging. Dave believes the topic of organ donation is a major contributing factor in the struggle to get the word out. I think the organization could really benefit from some branding, messaging and marketing expertise they don’t have the resources to purchase. If you are willing to donate some time to help with this, I am sure Dave will be willing to listen.
3. Sign up. Sign your family up. Ask your friends to sign up. It’s FREE and you can do it here: http://www.lifesharers.org.
4. Public Service Announcement Download - A professional PSA has been produced and just released. Ask your favorite radio station to play the PSA. You can get the info here: http://www.lifesharers.org/psa.htm.
Contact Dave Undis at 888-organ88 or 888-674-2688.
Conclusion
I congratulate Dave Undis for his persistence and visionary thinking. He has pushed for over six years to bring about change in our society that is very much needed, and he has done so with limited resources.
It is my hope we can honor this effort by finding ways to contribute to furthering this valuable cause. Who knows, the life you save may be your own or someone you love.
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