[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 47 (Friday, April 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL ORGAN DONOR WEEK

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, we are concluding National Organ Donor 
Week. I think as we conclude our week here in the U.S. Senate, it will 
be appropriate to pause for a moment and discuss the importance of this 
week. This is one of the few times when the mere talking about an issue 
actually will, in fact, make a difference.
  Why do we celebrate or why do we call attention to National Organ 
Donor Week? We do it because of a tragedy. The tragedy is that 7, 8, 9, 
in some weeks 10, of our fellow citizens die, die every week, because 
there aren't enough organs available. They don't die because medical 
science can't save them--medical science can save them. They die 
waiting on a list, waiting for an organ to become available, and seven, 
eight, or nine of them every week die.
  What can be done about this? What we can do is talk about this issue. 
As we talk about it, we can encourage people and their families around 
the kitchen table to talk about it. Talking about it does make a 
difference. Too many families, when faced with life's most horrible 
tragedy, which is the unexpected, usually sudden, loss of a loved one--
a daughter, son, mother, father, wife, husband--when they are asked by 
the medical personnel at the hospital, ``Can we use your loved one's 
organs to help save someone else?'' they don't know what to say. They 
are faced with horrible trauma, something they have not expected. Too 
many of our fellow citizens say no, not because they don't want to help 
people, but they say no because they never thought of it.
  I am convinced if people talk about this issue, if they talk among 
the members of their family, that we will increase the number of 
people, when they are faced with that horrible tragedy, to in fact say 
yes, and we will save lives. That is why we set aside a week as 
National Organ Donor Week.
  The ribbon I am wearing symbolizes that. One of our great pages who 
was out in the hallway a moment ago asked me, ``Senator DeWine, what 
does that stand for?'' And I was able to tell her what this stands for. 
I think it is something that we want to share with all our fellow 
Americans.
  The Postmaster General and his committee will issue a postage stamp 
next August to remind us all as we put postage on our letters, as we 
receive letters, of how important it is to encourage people to become 
organ donors. I appreciate, Mr. President and Members of the Senate, 
having an opportunity to talk about this issue this afternoon.

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