Doing something that has the potential to save a life is always the highest mitzvah, or good deed. To my knowledge, all of the world's major religions support organ donation. The last time I said good-bye to my father in the hospital, he was still breathing with the help of a respirator. But it makes me feel good to know that my father's gift is helping to keep someone else's father alive. The summer I spent interning in the transplant unit at the University of Washington Medical Center opened my eyes to the urgent need for organ donors.
People often have to wait between three and five years for an organ especially for a liver.
Some even die waiting. One of the most inspiring cases I was involved with during my summer internship involved a two-year old boy with liver cancer. He was in desperate need of a transplant, and was lucky enough to get one. His new liver came from an eleven-year old boy. As the daughter of an organ recipient, I am forever grateful to organ donors and their families, as their generosity gives life to someone else.