Letter: Talk now about organ donation

April is Organ Donor Awareness Month. Hopefully you will never find yourself in dire need of a life-saving transplant or the equally distressing position of being asked to authorize the organ donation of a dying family member. The circumstances surrounding organ donation are always difficult and most often arise from a tragic, fatal event involving a loved one. It is in the midst of such emotional trauma that organ donations are secured or lost.

Several years ago, a young couple sat down to watch television after dinner. Somehow the issue of organ donation came up in their conversation. When asked by his wife how he felt about donating his organs, the young man immediately responded, “Of course, that’s a no-brainer.” That was the full extent of their discussion.

A few years later, in the ICU of a trauma center, with shards of windshield glass still in her face, the young wife was asked to donate her husband’s organs. Remembering his words, and without regard to the nightmare she was experiencing, the remarkable woman replied, “Of course, that’s a no-brainer.”

If not for their brief discussion years before, this donation may not have occurred and this letter never written. I urge you to talk about organ donation with those you love. Discussing the question for the first time in the comfort of your living room, as opposed to an emergency room, may be the difference between life and death for someone awaiting a transplant.

This story was originally published April 21, 2017 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Letter: Talk now about organ donation."