Interview broadcast on the Spike O’Dell Show on WGN Radio 720 Chicago on Monday, November 25, with David J. Undis, Executive Director of LifeSharers.

Click here to listen to a sound recording of the interview.

Unofficial transcript:

O’DELL:  I’m looking at some statistics here. Do you realize more than 6,400 people last year died while waiting for an organ transplant? That’s the problem. A lot of people have signed up but things change sometimes and it doesn’t work as smooth as it should. We were fascinated yesterday when we read in the paper about an organ transplant simply as close as a mouse click away. I’ll read a paragraph here. “Want to increase your chances of getting a live-saving organ transplant should you ever need one? It’s as simple as the click of your mouse. LifeSharers.com, which began offering what it calls “preferred organ access” to its 169 members Friday, is a network of people who agree to donate their organs and tissue when they die to others who are on this list.” David Undis from Nashville, Tennessee, is the founder of LifeSharers.com. Hi David, how are you?

UNDIS:  Great. Thanks for having me.

O’DELL:  Thank you for being with us. I do appreciate it. I bet you’re getting a lot of attention after these newspaper stories.

UNDIS:  We’d love to get even more attention.

O’DELL:  This is totally legal I guess isn’t it.

UNDIS:  Oh sure.

O’DELL:  And you’re not drawing any salary off this. It’s a not-for-profit business. Membership is absolutely free?

UNDIS:  That’s correct, and as it says in the paper it’s a mouse click away.

O’DELL:  Can you understand why some people might not agree with how the whole thing works?

UNDIS:  Sure, I understand. But what’s really not fair is that the people who are unwilling to donate their organs, even after they’re dead, should be put at the front of the line when it’s time to decide who lives. Eighty percent of the organs in this country go to people who haven’t agreed to donate their own, and that’s just not fair.

O’DELL:  Is that what it is? See, I didn’t know that. Eighty percent of the organs that are donated go to people who have not agreed to donate their own.

UNDIS:  Right.

O’DELL:  OK, I’ve got to play the devil’s advocate here. Let me throw this scenario at you, and it’s the obvious scenario. What about if an organ is given to someone who didn’t need it as bad as someone who really needed it or they may not live another 2 or 3 days, and in fact that other person dies because they didn’t get that organ? Is that fair?

UNDIS:  Well, whenever one of these decisions about who gets an organ is being made, someone’s going to live and someone’s going to die. What we’re trying to do is increase the number of people who donate their organs so that we don’t have to make so many of these tough decisions.

O’DELL:  People from, what is it the United States, or is this a world-wide thing?

UNDIS:  This is just in the United States.

O’DELL:  When did you first get on line with all of this?

UNDIS:  We launched our web site on May 22nd of this year, so we’ve been in operation for just about 6 months.

O’DELL:  I’ve read the story, and I’ve talked about it with my producer here, but I’m not quite sure I understand the inner workings of it, or is it just that simple? In other words, explain from start to finish how this thing works.

UNDIS:  Well if you agree with what we’re doing then you go to our website at LifeSharers.com and sign up. All we need is your name and your address and your email address and a few things like that. And then if you’re unlucky enough to ever need an organ you let us know and then we notify the people who do all the harvesting and distribution of organs that you’re on their waiting list. And then if one of our members dies in circumstances where their organs can be harvested, we rely on next of kin and the medical community to honor that dead member’s wishes.

O’DELL:  Has the process ever occurred yet?

UNDIS:  Not yet, no.

O’DELL:  I was going to say, with less than 200 members the chances of that happening is probably pretty slim right now, but the hope is you’ll get thousands and thousands and maybe tens of thousands of people on this and help speed up the process.

UNDIS:  Yes. When we have hundreds of thousands of members, you’d be crazy not to join if you think you’d ever need an organ because you’d be cutting yourself off hundreds of thousands of kidneys and livers and corneas and hearts and lungs.

O’DELL:  So, the bottom line is “giving is receiving.” If you agree to give of yourself, God forbid, but should the need arise you would give of yourself, then you would have a better chance of being given the gift of life yourself.

UNDIS:  Exactly. That certainly seems fair to me. And as I’ve said, having a plan like that increases the chances that other people are going to sign up.

O’DELL:  Can I put a phone call on the air?

UNDIS:  Sure.

O’DELL:  Donna’s on the air and she has a comment. Hi, Donna.

DONNA:  Good morning.

O’DELL:  What do you think?

DONNA:  Amen! I am so glad somebody is finally doing this. I’ve been saying this for years. If you’re not willing to give, you should not get. That’s fair. That is so fair, and I am so glad somebody is doing something about it because I think if you’re going to receive the benefit of it then you should be willing to give yours so that somebody else can receive the benefit.

O’DELL:  So in other words this is one of those “put your money where your mouth is” things.

DONNA:  That’s right. I agree. Totally.

UNDIS:  Have you signed up yet, Donna?

DONNA:  Pardon me?

UNDIS:  Have you signed up yet?

DONNA:  Yes I have.

UNDIS:  Great.

O’DELL:  You have? OK.

DONNA:  Yes, I have, and everyone I know because I just think it’s not fair.

O’DELL:  OK, thanks.

DONNA:  Great. Thanks for hearing me out.

O’DELL:  You bet.

DONNA:  And thank you for doing this.

UNDIS:  You’re welcome.

DONNA:  Bye-bye.

O’DELL:  One more call if we can. Let’s sneak it in here before we go. Hi, Bill.

BILL:  A question for your guest this morning. I wondered, would membership in this program preclude getting an organ by other means?

UNDIS:  No.

O’DELL:  So you get two chances instead of one?

UNDIS:  You get one chance, but it’s a better chance.

O’DELL:  Oh I see. Thanks for the call. Mr. Undis, has anyone questioned the legality of it?

UNDIS:  No.

O’DELL:  Not at all?

UNDIS:  No.

O’DELL:  David Undis from Nashville, the founder of LifeSharers.com. Interesting concept. I do appreciate your time. Thank you. I’ve got a feeling you’re going to get some email.

UNDIS:  Thanks.