You don't want to donate your organs when you pass away? That's fine. Maybe I should tell you about my friend who passed away waiting for a liver? A friend who contracted Hepatitis C from a blood transfusion. One who had three kids, and the potential to live a long life. He did live, he made it five years on the list waiting for a liver transplant, only to pass away going into surgery, where the doctors decided that they would take a chance transplanting a liver, even though they were worried that he might be too weak to make it through the surgery.

My friend Joe did not make it. But maybe your loved or someone you know will, all from the courtesy of a stranger who said yes to organ and tissue donation. Every one has their own reasons to do it or not. My thought is, "I am not going to need it where I am going." But the potential to help a few people on "my way out" sounds pretty good to me.

Currently 8,667 people are on New York's list for a kidney and 1,352 for a liver, some waiting more than five years, like my friend.

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