Organ donation involves the kind act of giving one or more body organs from a living or deceased donor to a person in great need. This donation saves, lengthens or drastically improves the life of the recipient. Books on the subject can provide in-depth research. These books can be found in bookstores or online. Occasionally, they may be found in a public or medical library.
"The Gift That Heals"
"The Gift That Heals: Stories of Hope, Renewal and Transformation Through Organ and Tissue Donation" was published in 2008. The author, Reg Green, shares interviews with people at all many points along the donation spectrum, from donating families to recipients to medical staff who coordinate and perform the life-changing operations. Interviewees include those awaiting transplants, hoping for a miracle. These 40-plus stories are sure to inspire the reader and bring home the humanity behind organ donation.
"Organ Donation: Opportunities for Action"
This book was produced in 2006 by a committee that gathered to find ways to increase organ donation. The book contains numerous proposals for ways to find new donors via public education, policy changes and incentives. The main theme behind "Organ Donation: Opportunities for Action" is that we all have a responsibility to do what we can to improve the number of organs donated to those in desperate need.
"Transplant: From Myth to Reality"
"Transplant: From Myth to Reality" is a book about the history of transplantation from its modest beginnings to today. Written by Nicholas L. Tilney, M.D., in 2003, this interesting book has photographs and descriptions of early transplant procedures. The reader is allowed to consider the options faced by physicians of dying patients as they pondered whether to embark on procedures never before attempted. Features about pioneers in the field leave the reader with a good general education on the history of organ transplantation.
"Strange Harvest: Organ Transplant, Denatured Bodies and the Transformed Self"
This book by Lesley A. Sharp, Ph.D., takes an anthropological look at organ transplantation, particularly from deceased donors. Written in 2002, "Strange Harvest" explores the intimate side of having the organ of another person functioning inside you. Sharp explores the meaning of death and the taboo, but sometimes practiced, communication between donor families and organ recipients. Finally, she looks at the future of transplantation, including the use of complex medical devices and organs from specially engineered animals.
