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As you read this， nearly 80，000 Americans are waiting for a new heart， kidney or some other organ that could save their life. Tragically， about 6，000 of them will die this year——nearly twice as many people as perished in the Sept. 11 attacks——because they won't get their transplant in time. The vast majority of Americans (86%， according to one poll) say they support organ donation. But only 20% actually sign up to do it. Why the shortfall?Further complicating the situation in the U.S. is the fact that whatever decision you make can be overruled by your family. The final say is left to your surviving relatives， who must make up their minds in the critical hours after brain death has been declared. There are as many as 50 body parts， from your skin to your corneas， that can save or transform the life of a potential recipient， but for many families lost in grief， the idea of dismembering a loved one is more than they can bear.
The U.S.， like all medically advanced societies， has struggled to find a way to balance an individual's rightful sovereignty over his or her body with society's need to save its members from avoidable deaths. Given America's tradition of rugged individualism and native distrust of Big Brotherly interference， it's not surprising that voters resisted attempts to switch to a presumed-consent system when it was proposed in California， Oregon， Minnesota， Pennsylvan