I’ve asked many people this question, and it seems to me that most don’t want to donate their organs because they think they’ll be allowed to die if they go to the E.R. I think that idea is pretty much dumb, but hey, you never really know I guess. Other people tell me that they think the idea of “their organs floatin’ around the world” is “yucky.”
So, I come to you dopers. Are you an organ donor? If so, what made you choose to do so? If not, then what is your reason? Does religon have anything to do with it?
FTR, I am a donor, but I’m not here to judge you depending on the response. Simple curiosity is at work here.
Yes, I’m signed up on my driver’s license, and my sisters all know. I imagine I’d be of limited value, but they can have anything they want before they feed me to the worms.
No, and I can’t really explain why. I honestly would not care to be thrown in the river or into a grinder to make Alpo or Soylent Green when I die but I have some sort of inarticulate issue with becoming a donor.
Yes, I am. They can take out and use all the parts they want. I’m not quite ready to donate the whole body as a cadaver to a med school, though…I’m afraid that irreverent med students will be unkind. My grandfather donated his body, though.
My stepfather was the lucky recipient of a kidney from the unlucky victim of a donorcycle accident.
No, I’m not. It’s partly because I’m squicked out by my eyes being used in someone else’s skull, and partially out of rebellion. I get tired of hearing “Oh you ride a motorcycle? Make sure you are a registered organ donor, ha-ha!”
This statement fills me with so much :rolleyes: I really can’t articulate it. So I’m getting cremated with my kidneys out of sheer spite.
I do donate a lot of blood though. I’m Type O Positive so the Red Cross lurves me.
I’ve had that little pink dot on my Driver’s License ever since I turned 16. Can’t really imagine a non-religious reason not to do it short of ignorance or selfishness.
I am. It’s on my license, but I haven’t talked it over with my family yet. I’m thinking about donating my body to a med school or some such, but I haven’t quite made my mind up about it yet. I’d much rather it was doing something useful than moldering in a casket. The big thing that is holding me back is my memory of the one school field trip we did (for a creative writing class!) to the cadaver room at the local med school. I walked into the room, turned heel, walked out and threw up in the hallway. If I can ever get over the unpleasantness of that memory I’m pretty sure I’d sign the papers.
Yes, the last time I renewed my driver’s license, I told them to add the little red heart shape on the front of it to signify that I am an organ donor. Nothing religious about it, just compassion in the hopes that I might be able to help someone else live a longer or better life.
Then, lo and behold, a couple of months ago, my state legislature changed the law taking away the final decision-making from the family. Now, the act of signifying that I am a donor means that the medical personnel can harvest the organs without getting the permission of the NOK. Prior to that, getting such permission often took so long that the organs were no longer viable, or, the NOK decided that the donor’s decision was a bad idea.
After the harvest, I’ve told my NOK that I wish to be cremated (if there is anything left), but it may be that the remainder will be sent to the corpse farm to help the CSI follks determine time of death from rate of decomposition.
I registered to donate anything except my corneas. I know it’s stupid to get hung up on that one thing, but I can’t stand the idea of them taking my eyes. Anyway, I figure I’m not denying anyone life by selfishly taking my corneas to the grave with me even if I do feel a bit bad that I could have given someone the gift of restored vision.
I can’t donate - infecting an immuno-supressed recipient with HepB won’t extend their life much.
On the other hand, I may need someones liver in the future, so all you donors - lay off the booze.
In the UK we are having the debate about changing to presumed consent - ie you have to opt out of being an organ donor, otherwise they can use them. Increases the harvest and saves more lives. I would prefer to see this happen (cause if and when I need a liver, I don’t want to be in a queue). As a christian, I believe that it would be my moral duty to donate if I could. The Church of England, recently expressed the same opinion.
The most I can do after I die is to have a woodland burial, thus preserving a piece of land from development for about 100 years.
I wanted a woodland burial for the longest time - the idea of being in a casket squicks me out - but the last time I researched it, there was only one place in the US that allowed it. It’s been several years since I checked though, maybe more research is in order.
Well, it was either that or have myself ‘preserved’ so I can go to my own wake. Every time I bring that up, there is much rolling of eyes and shaking of heads. So, donation it is. All my organs keep getting older, though. I hope something is still good when I finally go.