Regardless of how the gut-wrenching saga of 10-year-old Sarah Murnaghan plays out, her case is a reminder of the pressing need for organ donations.

Sarah suffers from advanced cystic fibrosis and has a terminal diagnosis unless she receives a lung transplant. A federal judge issued an injunction last week precluding enforcement of a federal rule that places children younger than 12 on a separate list for lung transplants. The distinction exists for medical and ethical reasons - lung transplants are among the most difficult and young children do not do as well as adults after receiving a lung. Among all recipients, 54.4 percent survive five years after a lung transplant, compared with 74.9 percent for heart recipients, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Here's hoping that Sarah beats the odds. But if enough lungs were donated, there wouldn't be an issue. Each day, 18 people die while awaiting organ transplants. An average of 79 people each day receive a transplant, but 118,222 were on waiting lists as of Friday, according to HHS,

From January through March, 6,891 people had received organs from 3,412 donors.

Gravely ill people like Sarah get a chance only when someone else makes a commitment to donate what quite rightly is called the gift of life.

Information on how to do so is available at