Quality of Life

Posted: March 27th, 2020

Quality of Life

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Quality of Life

            Kidney donation offers an opportunity to save lives. In a lifetime, the occasion to save a life does not come by often. For this reason, the decision on whom to donate the kidney to should be a matter of immense consideration. Even without hindsight, anyone experiencing kidney failure deserves a transplant. However, it is not possible to grant all requests. As a result, a donation is granted to the most deserving patients. In most cases, the opportunity to decide on whom to donate an organ to is not accorded to the donor (Aijing, Wenzhao, Wei, Qiquan, & Xuantong, 2016). Organ transplant agencies grant it based on a first-come-first-serve system. Individuals who need organs are placed on a queue as they await donations. In the case study, I would give my kidney to Jill because, as the youngest participant and a single mother, the society expects her to have the greatest potential for contribution to both her community and her child.

            In evaluating the decision to donate, I considered Jill because she is the youngest in the group. Naturally, younger people are expected to outlive older individuals. Additionally, the possibility for recovery is higher in younger persons (Swazey, 2017). Their body metabolisms are much faster, and that would help in the healing process. I would not want to donate the organ to an individual who has a reduced likelihood of making a quick recovery.

            Jill is also a single mother. Thus, the fate of her child is tied to her. A child needs a mother’s love and guidance when growing up. In a family where the other spouse is available, the future of the child is favorable even without the mother. However, in Jill’s case, the child would be left without a parent if anything were to happen to her. I believe that the possibility of the child growing up as an orphan is the most distressing predicament.

            From the description, Jill is a former drug addict. As a result, kidney failure might have been occasioned by the drug abuse. The fact that she is described by the term ‘former’ suggests that she has turned her life around for the better. She is taking classes at the community college to improve her life. The description paints a picture of an individual who is focused on developing her life. The kidney donation would complete Jill’s turn around. She deserves another chance for putting an effort. She is trying to make amends for some of the mistakes she might have done in the past.

            I considered the future of each candidate before deciding to donate my kidney to Jill. I believe she has a higher possibility of improving her life and influencing the society. Jill’s story is one of resilience and hope for the future. Her recovery will inspire people to change their lives for the better. In particular, drug addicts would be motivated to amend their ways and aspire to be better individuals. In evaluating the decision to donate the organ to Jill, I did not scrutinize why other people are less deserving. I thought that Jill had the most compelling reasons for the donation in comparison to the others. An objective evaluation from another prospective donor would most likely lead to a different outcome. All the candidates deserve a chance for an organ transplant. Each life is exceptional, and all possibilities should be evaluated to salvage the lives of individuals with organ failure.

References

Aijing, L., Wenzhao, X., Wei, W., Qiquan, W., & Xuantong, D. (2016). Public opinion on organ donation after death and its influence on attitudes toward organ donation. Annals of Transplantation, 21, 516-524.

Swazey, J. P. (2017). The courage to fail: A social view of organ transplants and dialysis. New York, NY: Routledge.