U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) spoke on the Senate floor about legislation he introduced Tuesday to bring greater accountability to the nation’s organ donation system by establishing clear, accountable metrics for Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs).
Young
“This issue is personal for me,” said Young. “My friend Dave ‘Gunny’ McFarland from Jeffersonville, Indiana died because his heart transplant never came. We served together in the United States Marine Corps, and over the years I’ve gotten to know his widow Jennifer McFarland Kern. Jen has made it her mission to raise awareness about the organ transplant process and to help prevent others from facing a similar situation. Because the system is so complex, most people don’t know how it works or if patients are being protected. It’s time to change that. Today’s legislation is the first in a series of bills I am working on to reform our organ donation system once and for all, and help save precious lives. I won’t stop until we increase the availability of organs for patients in need.”
Click here to watch Senator Young’s full speech.