There are several lives that can be saved everyday if organs for transplant are readily available. Patients in need for transplants are put on lists. These lists are prepared keeping the condition of a patient in mind and urgency of organ replacement. Sometimes the wait lasts for months and a patient loses the battle with life before getting an organ. This scarcity of organs also leads to black marketing.

Innocent people in need of money are made to sell organs and it is then transferred to the highest bidder. The beauty of life and living is turned into a money making business.

But, all this can be avoided if enough people are aware and educated about organ donation. There is a lot of stigma surrounding organ donation. Questions like what is organ donation and is it safe are quite common.

An affective way to educate people about organ donation is through campaigns and advertisements. There are various organizations that have taken up this cause. Organ India is one such NGO that is actively propagating the concept of organ donation in India. They educate the masses, recount organ donor stories and encourage them to donate body organs after death.

One of the first things to know about organ donation is that it is possible in both cases, when a person is deceased and also when alive. While organs like kidney and liver can be donated by a living person, eye and heart donation is possible only in case of deceased persons. Pancreas donation is possible in both cases. A partial portion of the organ is taken in case of donors who are alive and the entire organ in case of deceased donors. Similarly, even lungs are donated in both cases. So, while a living donor can donate only one lung, both lungs of a deceased donor can be used. Thus, contrary to popular belief, organ donation after death is a very viable option.

Cadaver or body donation after death is another form of donation. This probably is one of the most difficult and selfless acts by an individual. By donating the body one is giving away the right to be buried or cremated and letting the body be used for medical research. Here, a life is not being saved immediately but the research and tests that are conducted can help hundreds and thousands of people in the future.

Brain death and organ donation are another two concepts that have various wrong notions attached to them. Legally a person who is brain dead is deceased. Life support systems can keep the heart of such a person beating but that does not mean that the person is alive. But, a brain dead person is a viable candidate for organ donation.

For every person wishing to donate organs, organ donor cards are issued. Organ India, issues these cards as well. It indicates the desire of a person to donate their organs after death, whether it is eyes or heart or body. Even after the card though, once a person is deceased, the approval of a living family member is essential for organ donation to become a reality.