I was just reading the thread “Funerals” when I recalled something I read or heard about organ donation. This program said only a small percentage of people actually are organ donors. Also, there are I think 60,000 people in the US waiting for organ donations. I am a donor and I am just wondering why anyone wouldn’t want to be a donor. I don’t need an organ or anything I was just wondering why anyone wouldn’t want to give their organs away. Any ideas?
I realize I’m generalizing here, but as in most cases, I don’t care.
-Dave Barry
I’m a donor too, LlardBall – I’ve heard people comment that they won’t donate for religious reasons – they come up with something vague about wanting to be “intact” when they get to heaven.
I think they’re assuming quite a bit, but hey, it’s not for me to say where they’re going, if anywhere.
I’ve heard that about religious reasons too, AuntiePam. What I don’t understand about that is why you would need your body in one of these places when it is just a rotting carcass here on earth. Your organs are going to either rot here on earth, or you can put them to good use with someone else. Also, if you were to go to heaven or wherever, wouldn’t your body stay here and just your spirit go to this afterlife? That’s just my personal belief so you can ignore that.
You can also specify which organs you would like to donate. Maybe you don’t want to give away your heart but you wouldn’t mind losing a kidney while you’re still alive. Just a little info.
I realize I’m generalizing here, but as in most cases, I don’t care.
-Dave Barry
I heard that in some countries…anyone know which ones - Australia comes to mind, but I’m not sure…you are automatically an organ and tissue donor unless you fill out paperwork objecting to this use.
Do you think that would fly in our country?
How would one start a movement to set this type of practice in motion?
The main reason there are so few organ donors is the extemely high gross-out factor. Also, I think alot of people are afraid that, if they became an organ donor, doctors might decide they were worth more dead than alive. Not that I believe this. It’s the gross-out factor that keeps me from signing the back of my driver’s licence. I just can’t stand the thought that I’d be hacked to bits the instant I’m declared braindead.
I think it has to do with people’s inability to truly face their own mortality. The idea of their eyes, heart, kidneys, etc. being removed is met with resistance, because there’s a vague, subconscious equating of those acts being done to them while they are alive.
“Everytime you go away, you take a piece of me with you.”
- Paul Young
No fear, Diceman, or it would have happened already.
I can (vaguely) understand your “gross out” factor. I would, however, ask that you consider the situation from a logical perspective. You aren’t going to be around to worry about it, anyway. Your organs are going to either slowly turn to pulp and ooze away or they’re going to be reduced to fine-powdered ash. Either way, if you donate, some part of you is liable to survive for a few more years. (If you die under mysterious circumstances, the coroner is going to slice and dice you anyway.)
There are several misperceptions that people use (IMO) to justify avoiding having to deal with their own impermanence in this world.
(as alluded to by Diceman) is the fear that an X in the organ donor block of a driver’s license causes EMTs, nurses, & docs not to try as hard to save you. Patently false, but it’s SO hard to convince someone whose cousin’s hairdresser’s next-door neighbor’s teacher had their organs harvested afer sustaining a surviveable injury…
Donor’s families are charged for the cost of harvesting their organs. False. Donor’s families ARE charged for the cost of trying to save them, but the instant the decision is made to proceed with donation, all future charges, up until body preparation & transport to the funeral home are borne by the recipient('s insurance company).
I knew person Y who was hurt, and because of organ donation, his family had to have a closed casket funeral. Organs are removed surgically, and with every effort to respect the body of donor. If a closed caption funeral must be held, it would because of the trauma the caused the death, not the organ donation that followed.
Nobody would want X’s organs. She’s too old to be a donor. OK, livers from 15 year olds do work better than livers from 80 year olds. There are certain eligibility requirements for potential donors - free of transmissable infectious disease (HIV, hepatitis, active bacterial infection at the time of death), - no known invasive cancer, and, for some organs, - age limits. Corneas have the fewest restrictions. Almost anyone can donate corneas, giving the gift of sight to someone who has lost, or is about to lose theirs.
One of the main impediments to donation, however, is the failure of many people to understand that they can sign a million forms during their lifetime, but at the time of death, if family is available, the family’s consent is needed in order to harvest organs.
So, if you’re a donor, TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT! Your family will be devastated by your loss, but if they know you want to be a donor, this can provide some measure of comfort & prevent them from feeling like they betrayed your last wishes if they find out too late that you would want to be a donor.
Sue from El Paso
Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.
If any of you non-donors ever faced the horrendous position of needing a new organ, or if a loved one ever needed a new organ, I want you to know that I would gladly give you any body part once I’m certifiably dead.
Majormd touched on the fact that it is a false assumption that EMT’s and other workers won’t try as hard to save someone if they are an organ donor. Medical workers won’t even know if the patient is an organ donor until after they are dead. There should be no fear that the medical workers won’t try to save you just because you are a donor.
Commander Fortune: You wanted to know if this kind of thing would “fly in our country.” It wouldn’t. The US is based upon principles of freedom and to be an automatic donor is taking away that person’s freedom. It has been suggested that prisoners are to be automatic donors once they are dead OR that they become donors to get a shorter sentence. These are not laws yet though.
If you wanted to start a movement for this practice you would probably just talk to your local representative about it but (I hate to break it to you) you would probably be quickly rejected for the afformentioned reasons.
tomndebb talked about why would one worry about where their organs are going being that this person is dead. I agree. When I am dead, why do I care where my organs go, let alone having my body mutilated? I know it’s not the “classy” way to go (being mutilated), but will I feel it? No. Am I helping someone else out (by organ transplant) who isn’t in my predicament (dead)? Yes. Does that make me feel good even though I am dead? Yes…sort of…I guess so, considering I am dead.
I suppose the whole point of my thread was that there really is no legitimate reason for not being a donor (except maybe religious). The “gross-out” factor shouldn’t be a factor at all because you are dead. Nothing grosses you out when you are dead. Nothing bad happens to your body. They won’t tear it up. I promise.
I realize I’m generalizing here, but as in most cases, I don’t care.
-Dave Barry
True enough about the US being founded on principles of freedom.
Currently, my child MUST have received her immunizations OR I can sign a waiver saying our family is exempt for religious reasons.
Currently, our city provided water is fluoridated, we can drink it anyway OR we can drink bottled water if we object to fluoridation.
My point is, our country does lots of things to better the overall health of our society. As long as exemption is provided for those who object, no one’s freedom of choice is actually imposed upon.
Actually, I believe the country we’re talking about here is Belgium, and it has nothing to do with compulsory organ donation. The way it works is, you are assumed to be a donor UNLESS you’ve indicated that you DON’T want to be a donor. If you don’t want to donate, fine: you’re free to refuse.
The way our system in the US works, you’re assumed to NOT be a donor unless you indicate you DO want to donate. Even if you want to donate, your family is allowed to sabotage your wishes. If one family member refuses the donation, it can’t go through, even if you’ve clearly stated your wishes. This happens distressingly often.
interesting aside,
as an ER/ICU RN, I’m 100% for donations, 1 donor can save 5 lives, I’m a donor and I echo the prior posts:
share your life, share your decision.
however, vis a vis the icky factor, I would not want my body donated to med school for anatomy class.
they both effect me the same, and both are of use to humankind, but one I would jump at and the other is icky, hmmm,
Larry
I used to have an organ donor card, but when my wife (then my girlfriend) found out, she got very upset and said she didn’t want someone else to have my beautiful eyes. What can ya’ do?
Look at organ donation this way. Don’t think of it as donating your organs to help keep other people alive. Think of it as a whole bunch of complete strangers who are willing to donate their entire bodies just to keep your organs alive.
Tomndeb: Yeah, I know I’m not gonna miss my organs when I’m dead. But the problem is, fundamentally, an emotional one, not an intellectual one. It must be dealt with on an emotional level, or the percentage of organ donors will remain abysmally low.
“I had a feeling that in Hell there would be mushrooms.” -The Secret of Monkey Island