# Organ donation- whose decision should it be?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-donation-whose-decision-should-it-be/160289>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 10, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-donation-whose-decision-should-it-be/160289 "2003-03-10T13:13:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-donation-whose-decision-should-it-be/160289/1 "2003-03-10T13:13:57Z")

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If this belongs in IMHO, someone please move it.

```
 My husband got his drivers license renewed last week, and I noticed that he didn't have the organ donor designation put on it. We have never discussed this, oddly enough- I have the OD designation on my license, and I assumed that he did, too. I asked him about it, and he said that he does NOT want his organs donated.  

 He has no religious opposition to it- he's an atheist- but he said it gives him the creeps (this from someone who wants to be creamated), and he's afraid they'll unplug him prematurely if he's an organ donor (incredibly silly, I know). His parents, who are deeply religious, are morally opposed to both organ donation and cremation- they think you have to have everything to get into heaven.    

 In the state where I live, it is up to the next of kin to decide whether to donate the deceased's organs, reagrdless of what the deceased wanted. Even though I have the OD thing on my license, my husband could tell them to forget it when my time comes, and my organs would stay right where they are. I think it would be awful for someone to refuse to allow the harvest of organs from someone who wanted to donate.  

 On the other hand, I don't think it would be so awful if I ignored my husband's wishes and had his donated. I might feel differently if he had some religious opposition to it (even if I thought it was silly), but just a vague "it creeps me out" doesn't cut it for me.    

 Whose decision should it be? And how would it be enforced?
```