In a world where life expectancy has increased dramatically over the last century due to new technologies and medical procedures, we see that humanity is continually pushing the boundaries of what it can do to prevent deaths when possible. One example is the field of organ donation and transplantation. However, unlike many other technologies or procedures that can be built, fabricated, or learned, organ transplantation requires something we cannot yet create: an organ itself. Because our increased life expectancy leads more people to need a replacement organ when theirs begins to fail, demand has far outstripped supply and the future only gets worse. “Between 1988 and 2006, the number of transplants doubled, but the number of patients waiting for an organ increased sixfold. » (Orentlicher, 2009) It is clear that our need for organs is increasing much faster than those available. So, in an effort to meet demand, proposals have surfaced and sparked much debate about whether compensation should be given for donations. By looking at the issue through the lens of utilitarianism and virtue ethics, we can find a way to help the many while allowing both givers and receivers to maintain the dignity of their personalities. In this article, I will argue that donating one's organs in exchange for compensation is indeed ethical provided that this exchange is carefully regulated. A case study of a woman, Ruth Sparrow, following costly surgery in Florida in 1997, illustrates the issue of organ donation. compensation. After the operation, she offered the hospital one of her functioning kidneys in exchange for paying for her operation. However, the hospital refused her. Instead, she then put an ad in the middle of a sheet of paper......from Wired.comGoyal, M., Mehta, R., & et al, (2002). Economic and health consequences of the sale of a kidney in India. Journal of the American Medical Association Husted, J. H., & Husted, G. (2008). Ethical decision making in nursing and health care, symphonological approach. (4th ed.). NY: Springer Publishing Company. Orentlicher, D. (nd). Presumed consent to organ donation: Its rise and decline in the United States. In Rutgers Law Review. Organ sales: paying to live. In (2011). The economist. Perry, D.L. (2009). Should violent criminals receive organ transplants? Markkula Center for Applied EthicsThe proposal to donate organs from a prisoner is disturbing. (2007). American Medical News United States statement on prison status and organ allocation. (2002). United Network for Organ SharingZargooshi, JR (2001). Quality of life of Iranian kidney “donors”. Journal of Urology, 166.