ABSTRACT
Advances in medical technology provide opportunities for society and its members to experience improved quality of life. One such advancement is organ and tissue transplantation. Where such procedures began with donations from deceased persons, continued advancements have made transplantation a possibility with organs from living donors (Fox and Swazey 2002). There are over 112,000 1 individuals on the official waiting list for an organ transplant, with approximately 85 percent of them seeking a kidney (United Network for Organ Sharing, https://www.UNOS.org" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">www.UNOS.org). Each living person may donate one kidney, a portion of their liver, or a lobe of their lungs, though kidneys are in highest demand and most frequently donated. Taking into account the family, professional, and community networks of those awaiting an organ in the United States, the total number of lives impacted by organ transplantation is likely in the millions. While the waiting list provides hope, eighteen individuals on the waiting list lose their lives each day.
