A Gift of Life

1852 Words4 Pages

Organ donation is a big decision but Jason Ray decided that when it was his time to join God, he wanted to help save the lives of others. March 26, 2007 was a day full of sorrow but also a day for a new beginning. Jason Ray, a beloved son and UNC basketball team mascot, was killed unexpectedly while walking down the shoulder on Route 4. On his way back to the hotel to join the rest of the team, Ray was hit from behind by a reckless driver. The result was a cracked skull and an extreme brain injury. He was in a coma for several days when a doctor finally approached the Ray family and said, “I'm going to do everything I can to save your son, but I'm not God and this is going to take His intervention, because I've never seen someone injured as catastrophically as Jason make a comeback.” Those words were the crushing blow to the family. No one wants to hear that their very own son is dead. The pain of that will never be erased from the lives of the Ray family. Again, this was a day of sorrow. It was also the day, for some, to begin again. Jason was a proud organ donor. His parents say that they will never forget the day their son walked into the kitchen, flipped his license onto the table, and smiled as they looked at the donor sticker. Because of Jason’s decision to become an organ donor, five children have their fathers back, four mothers have their sons back, and as many as 75 others are living because of his brave decision to donate his organs, tissues, skin, and blood after his death (Drehs). Participating in organ donation can improve society by preventing death because of improved procedures and eliminating organ trafficking. First, everyone knows that death is inevitable. While some people may say that organ transplantation i... ... middle of paper ... ...ng, G.G.E Tegtmeir, P.V. Holland, J.B. Gorlin, C. Cousins, R.P. Chiacchierini, and L.A. Pietrelli. "Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) DNA Screening of Blood Donations in Minipools with the COBAS AmpliScreen HBV Test." Transfusions 45.8 (2005): 1247-257. Consumer Health Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. . Murray, Joseph E., and Anthony L. Komaroff. "The Man Who Lost His Face." Newsweek 12 Dec. 2005: 61. Science Reference Center. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. . Orlowski, Jeff. "Donate Life America." Donate Life America. DLA. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. .

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