Have you ever been to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and asked if you would like to be an organ donor? How did this question make you feel? Did this make you think about your response? or were you quick with a no/yes? Before making your decision, did you consider that by choosing “yes” you could potentially save up to eight lives? Or have you wrongly assumed that your medical treatment would not be as comprehensive if you became a donor? Maybe medical professionals just wouldn't try so hard to save you? Organ donation benefits not only the recipients by extending their lives, but also the donor's grieving family by allowing their loved one to live on through others. By checking “yes” and becoming an organ donor, a living person can donate a kidney or part of their kidney. liver, lung, intestine, blood or bone marrow (transplant). A person can also donate the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, small intestine, corneas, skin, veins, heart valves, tendons, ligaments and bones ( graft). Many people are waiting for these life-saving transplants, but unfortunately, most will not live long enough to receive a transplant due to the small number of donors (Transplant). In fact, 18 waiting recipients will die every day due to lack of organ donations (Organ, WomensHealth). Many people refuse to become organ donors due to poor education. The most common misconception associated with organ donation is that a donor will not receive the same medical treatment as a non-donor. Many people are led to believe that doctors will not go to great lengths to save a patient's life if that patient is an organ donor; However, this is completely false. In reality, organ donors receive the same treatment as any other...... middle of paper ......d the quality of the transfer of oxygen in the blood, and the tests of AlloMap molecular expression to monitor recipient white blood cells and determine the risk of acute cellular rejection (transplant). Along with all of these tests, there are additional tests that recipients will likely need to complete at home, such as checking their temperature, blood pressure, weight, and pulse. This all varies depending on the type of transplant. When the DMV offers the option to check a little white box next to “Organ Donor,” they know it’s not something to take lightly. Whether or not to become an organ donor is an extremely personal decision. Although the effects on others may come into play in making this decision, the final say rests with the individual. It is clear that organ donation can save lives. But saving lives isn't just a matter of black and white.