Myths about organ donation have been around for a long time. These types of myths have kept people from becoming organ donors and prevented families from letting their loved one receive a needed organ transplant. These myths are one of the main reasons for the organ shortage in the United States today. While some people decide to save the life of another human, others do not because of these myths surrounding organ donation. One person has the opportunity to save up to fifty lives simply by deciding to donate their organs, which would help combat the organ shortage in the United States. One myth that stops someone from donating their organs is the belief that family will do so. be charged extra to allow their loved one to become an organ donor (Steve Rudich). People who think they will be charged extra for this procedure do not allow their loved one to become an organ donor for fear of additional expenses that will be added to an amount already charged. high medical bill on top of funeral and burial costs (Steve Rudich). According to the Kidney Caucus, all costs related to the medical procedure required to harvest organs and tissues will be paid by the donor program and not the donor's family. If a family were to receive a medical bill for the procedure from the hospital or an insurance company, they should contact that agent immediately as this is an error (Congressman Jim McDermott). A second myth for some people is that when a doctor declares a person dead it is because they are going to die soon and in fact they were not dead at all (Nancy Valko 2). Some people believe their loved one is still alive when they hear and see their loved one breathing while they are hooked up to a machine that breathes for them (Nancy Valko...... middle of paper...... ): 230-236.Egendorf, Laura k. “Organ donation”. Egendorf, Laura K. Organ Donation Opposing Views. Greenhaven Press, 2009. 21-22. Fugen, Goz, Mustafe Goz, Medine Erkan. “Issues in Clinical Nursing.” Knowledge and attitudes of medical, nursing, dental, and health technician students toward organ donation: a pilot study (2005).Hope, Deb. Ryan's hope. December 2007. March 27, 2010. Lynch, Elizabeth. Organ donation. New York: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Nancy Valko, RN. “Organ.” Should We Be Dying to Donate 20 (2005): 1-3.Steve Rudich, MD, PhD, FACS. Net well-being. April 24, 2009. March 6, 2010. Yang, R. Thiessen-Philbrook, H Klarenbach, S. “Insurability of living organ donors.” American Journal of Transplantation (2007): 1542-1551.