Are you an organ donor?

[dreya]

I'm always hearing about how the waiting lists for donated organs are so long that people die waiting for a transplant. I just automatically signed up to be one when I got my driver's license. I wonder why so few people do. Are you signed up to be an organ donor? (In the US you put a little sticker on the back of your driver's license - I don't know how it works in other countries.) If you choose not to be an organ donor, is it for religious reasons or are you just uncomfortable with the idea or is for some other reason?

[Angeldust]

I think you have to get put on the organ donor register in the UK. You used to just be able to carry a card, but I don't think that is enough anymore - I might be wrong. I am definitely going to be an organ donor - my brother had a liver transplant five years ago and that really made me think about the whole issue.

:hugondreya:hugoff

good topic. :love

[Vanna]

I was an organ donor at one point. It was on my driver's license. But my boyfriend said that he would refuse to allow that to happen. The hospital still needs a family members permission to remove the organs regardless of whether it says so on the license. He used to work for a hospital and saw what they did to the donor's bodies. He said it was so horrible and he couldn't stand to think of my body being destroyed that way. Personally, it really doesn't bother me since I would be dead and all. But it was very important to him so I relented. I wouldn't want him to have to deal with his mental picture of what would be happening to my body along with the fact that I was gone. What can I say...I love the guy. :cheesy

I do donate blood though.

:love,
Grace

[ballerinagirl]

Yes, I am! I have a card that came with my driver's licence that I keep with it in my purse. You can check off "all", or you can choose which organs you want to donate (which I personally find weird...ok you can have one of my kidneys, but nothing else:sarcasm) - mine's checked off "all". If I die, I won't need them, so someone who does may as well have them I figure.

[fimbriae]

it's on my license that i want my organs to be donated. i sure as hell won't be needing them once i'm dead.

take care.

:love, emma

[randomgirl]

:stars Yep! :stars

I just had to get my license renewed today and I am an organ donor. I don't see why not- Like the other :fishyies mentioned, once I'm dead I'll have no use for them so why not help save someone else? :shy

:boink randomgirl (Viki) :boink

[PrettyKittie]

Well in BC ( :canada ) you need to fill in a little pamphlet. It changed here a few years ago (and Im sorry I havent gotten around to filling in mine yet but I will)
But just to let you know not every organ can be used in every situation.
I learned this when my mother died. She was very adamant about organ donation and giving blood cause when she was a very young child she had a really bad case pneumonia that the doctors told her parents to arange the funeral. Now she was given so much blood when she was sick she always said that if her, my sister and I gave blood every chance we got we would never be able to donate enough (we are all a rare blood type).
Now she died at home in her sleep and it was about two hrs or so before we found her. Now as soon as the doctor told us that there was nothing they could do both my dad and I spoke up and made a mention on how she wanted to donate her organs.
The doctor proceded to tell us that the only things that we could donate was like her eyes (ick). The reason being that pretty much unless they die in the hospital that there isnt much that can be used in transplants.
But as far as my wishes I plan for donate any and all of it *BUT* only for transplant. I dont like the idea of using my parts for scientific research. But thats just me.

Hope this gave a bit more info,

PrettyKittie

[floral]

I am an organ donor. It's so sad to see people die cause they can't find an organ that matches. My driver's license is an Illinois one, and we don't have stickers. They ask you at the DMV if you want to be an organ donor and if you do, they just print it right on the front of the license.

:flower Flora :flower

[BoxingGirl]

I very much intend to donate as much of my body as possible heck they can take my hair if they want. I also plan on being creamated so it doesn't really matter what my body looks like after I'm dead. I'll jsut be ashes.

A word of warning though. If you are adament about being a donor please make your wishes as well known as possible. Tell anyone that may be involved at your time of death what your wishes are. Like someone said before often times your license is not enough esp if your Family wishes otherwise.

My parents know how adament I am and I know how adament they are and we all respect each others wishes to donate however we have all still told out attorneys and the rest of our family just to be sure that our bodies are put to good use.

I also agree however that I want my organs to go for transplants not science. However when the transplant teams are done with me the scientists are welcome to the rest.

I believe that once a soul leaves the body that that body is nothing but a shell left behind.

I would also be very interested to hear why poeple choose to or not to donate. I like to hear broad perspectives on these type of topics

[*Lissa*]

I carry a card stating that when I die, I want my organs to be donated, if they are fit to be so. I also have that registered in a national organ donation's register. I mean, what's the point in keeping my organs once I'm dead? If they can keep someone else alive, then no-one could be happier than me.

I am also a blood donor, and if needs be, a bone marrow donor.

[Wxcat]

Howdy!

I am...I will have no need of them once I have crossed the river into sweet forever... I can't help but think of the blind child, the ailing father, the sick person whose quality of life could improve so greatly from something I have no need of any longer.

That being said, my husband is adamantly against it for him. I think he respects my decision, and return I must respect his. He does not wish to donate due to personal and religious preferences. I don't agree...but it's his decision, not mine.

Good topic, :hugonDreya:hugoff!!

[Feak]

Hmmm...I'm :uk I do still carry an organ donor card (I'll have to look into whever they're still valid). I'm happy for my "bits" to be used once I'm dead. I won't need them will I :sarcasm.

I also carry an Animal Research donor card. I got it from Animal Aid. I'm not sure if that's valid either! That means that parts of me can be used for research. According to AA their is a shortage of human tissue, which is why some companies have to use animals when they'd rather humans. Other sourses have told me that there are a surpluss of human bodies wanting to be used for reseach, so much so that some are actually going to waste. Not sure which is true though!

Anyway. My parents and friends are all aware of my wishes, so there shouldn't be any problems when I die.

[Cris Tina]

sometimes i think my organs don't function well enough. i will sign up on my card at my next licensing—just an oversight

[pageling]

I have also checked in as an organ donor on my drivers license. I'm glad steps have been taken to make that easier here in the :usa , but as has already been mentioned here, be sure that your family members know that this is your wish, because they are the ones who will make the final decision should it need to be made. But, like everyone else has said, if my organs can be used, I want them to be. I won't be needing them anymore! Take care all.

much love,
paige

[Anonymous_Member003]

Eeeek. I guess I am not like most people here.

I am not an organ donor. Partially because I read that book called "Coma" by Robin Cook and it scared the shit out of me. And also because I talked to some people in my state about organ donation and their answers to my questions were not satisfactory. I am still scared that the hospital will let me die so they can have my organs. I dunno. I guess it is a personal decision.

[seniorpride]

In response to some of the issues brought up...

No, a hospital will not let you die so they can get your organs. That is unethical, and I believe it may also be illegal. If you are in the hospital, unless you have a DNR (do not resuscitate) form that has been signed by you and your doctor, and maybe someone else (I don't remember exactly), the hospital must and will do everything it can to keep you alive. Only by your consent, or your family's consent if you're unable to make the decision, are they allowed to withhold treatment or life-saving measures. (LOL... can you tell medical/hospital stuff fascinates me? :winky)

I also think - correct me if I'm wrong - but if your organs are harvested post-mortem, they try to keep your body as complete and "normal"-looking as possible for the funeral and all. I knew people who have donated their organs and who looked as if nothing had been done to them when they were buried. I've also watched medical shows (the "real" ones, not like ER and stuff), documentaries, etc. on this kind of stuff, and I've never seen a body destroyed by the organ harvest team just to get the donor organs. Granted, that was on TV, but it was a respectable source.

And as for me, yes I'm an organ donor. Once I have died, I won't need my organs, and I know there are tons of people who are waiting for transplants. So why not make good use of them instead of letting them rot six feet under? :challenge Just my opinion...

Hope I didn't step on anyone's toes! :ummm

[arance]

i'm not.

it can save lifes, true.
but on the same money that one life can be cahnged with the organ change operation, many many many many people could be saved from starving in the third countries.

the organ thing dont end in the operation, the operated people need to have mediacation for the rest of their life.

here they are putting a law that everyoine should be a potential donor if thye dont have forbidden it.

i don't want to donate.
(apart that all my organs suck due to the ed..)
but to be logical: even in need i keep it on the same line so i dont weant to receive them either.


but i really appreciate people who decide to donate.

this is only my choise.

[PrettyKittie]

Just to help clear up a few things.
The hospital/Doctors still have to *do* still have to do all they can to keep you alive. Just because your an organ donor it dosent mean that they still wont give it their all.
And they will go out of their way to make you still look presentable if you/your family decides to have like an open casket ect.
But on it being manditory I dont think that is right. I dont believe anyone has the right to tell me what I can or can not do with my own body and I know some religions (such as Jehoviah witnesses) do not believe in donating or recieving blood, tissue or organs and I cant help but respect them and any one else who decides otherwise.

PrettyKittie

[thinking]

For transplants yes, for research no (my brother is in med school and sometimes they keep the same bodies for more than a year for students to practice on...

I think it's a very personal decision that should not be questioned too much. Blood donations on the other hand is another issue (I think) and I campaign for it whenever I get the chance :cute

:greenfish Sara

[dreya]

I'm glad to see that so many of you are donors! Each year five thousand people die waiting for a transplant....
I agree that it is a personal choice. I don't think it should be mandatory. I know a lot of people choose not to be donors for religious reasons or other personal reasons and that is fine with me - it's not something anyone should be forced to do!
I think probably a lot of people just don't really think to sign up because we hate to think of dying! But it's good to know that you can help someone. And even if some of your organs can't be used for whatever reason, they may be able to use other ones....your corneas can give sight to a blind person, your kidneys can help a person get off dialysis, etc...
dreya :pinkfishy

[mattiegirl]

My husband and I both are organ donors. I work in a hospital too and I have seen what they do to people who donate. It doesn't matter to me. I won't need this empty shell once my soul has moved on into Heaven.

It is now a law that the family Must be asked if they want their loved one's organs to be donated. It is a lot easier for family to make that decision if they know the wishes of the dying person in advance.

Sometimes, like in cases of trauma like car accidents, the family just doesn't know. The truth about organ donation is that there are so many specific conditions that must be met for the organ to be used that many don't get harvested. The person must be brain dead, but the organs have to be kept on life support. This scares many people because they think the doctors will just pull the plug to take the organs. NOT TRUE. They do many, many tests to prove that the person is dead and that the body is just a shell that has a pulse given to it by a machine and lungs that breathe only because a machine is pushing air into them.

Some religions don't believe in organ donation because they believe the body has to be whole to get into Heaven. I respect that decision. I respect the decision of everyone who does not want to donate. I just don't want people who may have donated to be afraid to donate because of rumors and scary untrue stories.

:love Mattie

[Anonymous_Member004]

i am an organ donor. i also have a living will. i donated my organs, and my body to science. i even specified that my body go to a med school. i like the idea that my body might help med students learn,,,,

[drsharky]

I am an organ donor, even though I have been diabetic for over thirty years.
I make a point of saying that on my donor card, so that the medical teams can decide if they want to use my organs or not. But like others, I have skin for burn victims and corneas for people who need them. For those of you worried about organs being taken or your body being mutilated, consider at least donating your hair (if you have a head of long hair). There are people who make wigs for cancer patients and real hair apparently DOES make a difference.
But the real reason why organ donation is so important to me is that I just found out I made the first round of inclusion criteria for a clinical trial that might eventually bring a cure for diabetes. If I make it through all the rounds, eventually they would transplant bone marrow and islet cells (the ones that make insulin) into me. This research has been going so slowly in recent years, partly because of how hard it is to get enough cells, and partly too because of the limits put on different kinds of stem cell research. Lots of people who publish on this subject say the main reason they can't help more candidates is because of the very low rate of organ donation in the US.
Please-- if you have no religious or moral convictions about it, consider it. I have really been much more optimistic lately about my prospects for future good health because of these developments-- but it can't happen without people willing to donate.
s

[Celeste]

To put my opinion succinctly--

the choice about organ donation becomes much clearer when you yourself are faced with the possibility that without one, you or a loved one will die.

I landed myself in the ER after a suicide attempt and was told that if the antidote didn't work, which there was a distinct possibility of that happening, as I waited quite some time to go the ER, that I would need a liver transplant to live, and the chances of my getting one would be slim to none (crazy mental patient + lack of livers = no livers for celeste)

I am an organ donor. Fortunately I escaped with very little liver damage and I am not one of the thousands who wait every day for a phone call saying their organ is ready.

[jesla]

Count me in!! I've been an organ donor for a long time.

[ediblewoman]

Hey, good question. But make sure your family understands your wishes very clearly. My brother was an organ donor, according to his driver's license. He had even discussed it with my parents. So at the scene of his accident, the paramedics revived him and told the dispatcher (who happened to be my uncle's ex-wife) that they were keeping him alive for organ donation, because there was no way he'd survive his injuries. They just needed parental approval to harvest the organs. There's the rub. Even though the doctor's told my parents there was zero chance he would survive, my parents couldn't let him go. So they kept giving him blood for several hours, which made his organs useless. My parents understood his wish to be an organ donor. But it's very hard to accept that as a reality when the time comes. So if you feel strongly about being a donor, make your feelings known unequivocally.

ediblewoman

[buttercup_fairie]

i'm also a organ donor and i've wondered the same thing before

[Rayneonthemoon]

I am DEFINATLY an organ donor. My mom had a kidney transplant when I was five years old, and that is the only kidney she has. Her kidney transplant has lasted so far up until this point (i am now twenty-two)
I can't imagine what it would have been like to not have my mother in my life. She is my angel and I love her dearly. I am so grateful to the person and family who donated the kidney, and it touches me profoundly. So I am definatly an organ donor!!

Love,

[kers]

yep, i'm going to be an organ donor!

but like ediblewoman said, be real sure that everyone in your family knows your wishes. even if your driver's license says you want to be a donor, if your family says, no, it probably won't happen. so be clear!

i feel very strongly that once i am brain dead, i am dead, gone. so my body is of no use to me or my family. i recycle like a nut in my daily life, so doing it with my body seems like a pretty natural thing to me.

also, i am always amazed when i read articles about people whose family members donated. they save and improve so many lives--ever see the articles where they take a picture of everyone who beneifted from the donations? they are amazing.

it cheers me lots to see so many people ready to donate, too. yay!

[Kensington]

I have "organ donor" on my drivers license. To me, the most valuable thing I have to give is my eyes. Even tho I need corrective lenses, pop a pair of glasses on my eyes & I can let someone else see the beauty of the world long after I'm gone. :happy

[LostEarthAngel]

:hugonDreya:hugoff

Most certainly MAM!

It says it right on my DL in big block letters on a bright orange sticker.

Well, it gives me the willies to think about not being here someday. That I would be gone, and the world would continue on. But, I hope that world can continue on with a piece of me keeping someone else alive.