[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 193 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H14028-H14029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             ORGAN DONATION

  (Mr. MOAKLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about an issue that is 
very near and dear to my heart. Organ donation. As most of my 
colleagues know, I underwent a successful liver transplant this summer, 
and because someone gave me the gift of life, I am able to be with all 
my friends today.
  Lucky for me, organ transplantation is no longer an experimental 
procedure, but rather a lifesaving procedure. My colleague, the 
gentleman from South Carolina, Floyd Spence, and I are certainly living 
proof that transplantation works and that it saves lives.
  But, unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, Floyd Spence and I were the lucky 
ones. The fact of the matter is, most Americans have no idea of the 
importance of organ and tissue donation. 

[[Page H 14029]]
Today, 43,000 Americans from all over this country are waiting for a 
transplant. Serious life-threatening illnesses, Mr. Speaker, just do 
not discriminate.
  The greatest tragedy of all, Mr. Speaker, is that every day eight 
people die waiting for this donor organ. And that is not because they 
are not out there, it is because far too few people realize how 
precious a gift they can give before it is too late.
  I would like to take this time, Mr. Speaker, to ask my colleagues to 
discuss the issue of organ donation with those they care about. Give 
someone the miracle of a second chance. Give the gift of life and 
become an organ donor. I just cannot tell my colleagues how much it 
meant to me.

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