In modern medicine, we have the ability to transplant organs from one person to another, with the hope that this will greatly improve the length and quality of the patient's life receive the transplant. Ten years ago there were 53,167 people on the transplant list. By early 2015, the list had grown to more than 123,000 people waiting for that miracle call saying they had found a match and the transplant could now happen. One reason for the increase in the number of people on the list is that people in the age group of 50 to 70 are now considered good candidates for transplant thanks to medical advances. However, in December 2014, twenty-one people were dying every day while waiting for a transplant. (Benjamin Samstein, 2015) This brings us to the question: Should an alcoholic who was previously fortunate enough to have a liver transplant be allowed to have another liver transplant after letting his alcoholism ruin another liver? ? When someone needs a transplant, there are several factors that are taken into consideration to decide whether or not the patient will be placed on the transplant list. Patients receive points based on medical need, tissue type and time on the waiting list. Doctors then use a computer algorithm to decide who makes the organs available. Generally, general health, age, ability to comply with the anti-rejection medication regimen, and a strong support system also come into play in the decision-making process. The geographical location of the donor organ is also very important in the decision-making process. (Whitford, 2005) Due to organ shortages, not everyone on the list receives the organs they need. If people could overcome their fears about stem cell research, we might become perfectly viable h...... middle of paper ...... n to respect our bodies as the temples that they are. Use medicine when things happen that we cannot control, not when we lose control. Works Cited Abhinandana Anantharaju, MD (n.d.). Liver transplant for alcoholic liver disease. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Network. March 22, 2015.www.pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publicationarh27-3/257-269.htmBenjamin Samstein, M. (2015). Bottom Line Daily Health News. Network. March 22, 2015.www.botomlinesecrets.com/articvle.html?article_id=48034Kluge, E. (2004). Ethics of organ transplantation. Journal of the Canadian Medical Association. Perry, D.D. Ethical Consideration in Organ Transplantation. Network. March 22, 2015. home.eathlink.net/~davidlperry/organs.htm.Whitford, B. (2005, 11 28). Who takes the organs. Newsweek. Network. March 22, 2015.www.newsweek.com/2005/11/27/who-gets-the-organs.html