On Organ Donation

[mrs.dr.ron]

Organ donation is the reason one of my older friends received a heart transplant when he was 68 and has a rare blood group.
Ever since the donation he spends his life in the relentless pursuit of charitable activities. It would be one of many stories of lives not getting snuffed out by the wonderful gift of organ donation.

back in the dark ages ( late 60s early 70s) I worked in a hospital ward that had the renal transplant unit in it. When you can see the actual physical changes a transplant makes to a person - let alone the mental one, and it is all down to a family making a " wonderful gift of organ donation" as Cove said.

 

[Pushka]

I suspect there is a difference in thought between accepting a donated organ if one needed to live, versus be willing to donate one on point on death.
I'd prefer to have to make the decision on the spot to be honest, rather than it be an automatic donation. Which goes against common thoughts.

 

[get me outta here]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

And, I forgot to mention the huge financial burden directly on the health system of all the people who could use a donated organ or three but don't get them, and the indirect costs to families and social security of people too sick to work, or are blind, or in kidney, heart, lung, etc etc failure.

I respect other's views, I just can't see the point in taking all one's otherwise healthy parts to the grave or crematorium. Plus, I think it gives some solace to the relos left behind that something positive came out of all the terrible sadness.

I remember reading that Australia has one of / the worst organ donation rate in the 'developed world', or whatever it was. And, the reason is that those successful countries have an opt out in place.

Governments have spent millions over the past few years trying to get Australians to do it as a matter of course. I think the rate has risen a little in that time.

 

[Pushka]

I guess people just want to be buried or cremated as a complete person. Their body, their choice. As simple as that.

I'm not sure that the $ argument flies with me as a compelling reason to donate. That would be the last thing I'd worry about in making the decision.

 

[LadyC]

I've opted in. Beyond the fact I have no need for my organs once I'm dead, my best friend received a liver transplant when she was 23. This was nearly 20 years ago. She is now married and has two children, something that would never have happened without the transplant.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I suspect there is a difference in thought between accepting a donated organ if one needed to live, versus be willing to donate one on point on death.
I'd prefer to have to make the decision on the spot to be honest, rather than it be an automatic donation. Which goes against common thoughts.

Whilst I'm not advocating an opt out system just yet, I cannot understand the thought processes behind a decision that a donated organ would be accepted but the same individual would refuse to donate organs in the event of their death or the death of a loved one.

 

[QF WP]

Some of the negatives that are brought up by organ donation:

https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/25682483/uk-kidney-pair-knew-about-meningitis/?cmp=ydn

On can never be too careful

 

[Pushka]

Whilst I'm not advocating an opt out system just yet, I cannot understand the thought processes behind a decision that a donated organ would be accepted but the same individual would refuse to donate organs in the event of their death or the death of a loved one.

I know, some things don't make sense. A friend received a kidney transplant - I had only known him while he was on dialysis. I walked straight past him after his operation as he looked a completely different person. Quite miraculous.

 

[JohnK]

Mandatory organ donation?

I'd like to be able to choose whether I would donate my organs or not instead of the choice being automatically made for me and then I have to opt-out of organ donation.

I have already chosen. I didn't require any thought. You wouldn't want my organs anyway.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Mandatory organ donation?

I'd like to be able to choose whether I would donate my organs or not instead of the choice being automatically made for me and then I have to opt-out of organ donation.

I have already chosen. I didn't require any thought. You wouldn't want my organs anyway.

Would you have a transplant if you had a medical condition which required it ?

 

[drron]

Certainly a subject that does need discussion.
QF WP I think the cases you linked to really are to be discounted.The donor was obviously the 6th patient in the world to have had that infection.No way would that have been possible to be picked up by the transplant team.
There are though many ethical,religious and moral dilemmas for opt out to be viable at the present.
However much more effort should go into convincing people to sign up for organ donation.

 

[QF WP]

That begs the question though - what protocols are in place to screen the patients medical history for illnesses that may preclude use of their organs (thinking about the more common ones than this rare condition that could not have been foreseen, prior to the ME's/Coroners pick-up later).

I think my organ are healthy, I have always eaten with a mind towards non-excessive intake of saturated fats, moderate intake of red wine and exercise.

 

[JohnK]

Would you have a transplant if you had a medical condition which required it ?

I haven't thought about it.

 

[Pushka]

I think it is up to my relatives to do what they think is best for them, as they are the ones who have to cope with me passing away.

Given the rigorous testing by the Red Cross for blood donations, I'd like to think the same thing happens with organ donation, but I wonder if questions relating to issues like CJD are asked. And at a time of imminent death if it is a time to ask the distressed anyway.

 

[Chimpy]

I had a liver transplant almost 19 years ago. If it had not been for the kindness of organ donors I would not have lasted another week.
Not one day goes by that I do not think about the generous gift of life that I was given.

 

[get me outta here]

This is from the ACT site. Some interesting background.


Facts and figures....The organ donation process
• Clinical staff will do everything to save your life whether you wish to be an organ donor or not
• Organ donation is an end of life opportunity. It is an option only when all other treatments are futile
• Only 1% of all deaths in hospitals are able to become organ donors
• To become an organ donor, you need to be a patient in the Emergency Department
or the Intensive Care Unit. You also need to be on a ventilator
• Your family will always be asked to authorise organ &/or tissue donation
• Families that know their loved ones’ donation decision are more likely to say yes
• The organ donation process takes time. In the ACT it can take 24-48 hours
• One organ and tissue donor can save or change the lives of up to 10 people

 

[Happy Trails]

Make them tax deductible.

 

[get me outta here]

The National Organ Donation register prefers to have your Medicare number. That would be useful to check the donor's health background.

 

[UP4014]

Whilst I'm not advocating an opt out system just yet, I cannot understand the thought processes behind a decision that a donated organ would be accepted but the same individual would refuse to donate organs in the event of their death or the death of a loved one.

Personal choice; and it comes with living in a free thinking democratic society. Some may not think it is fair but it is the way it should be in a country such as ours.

Matt

 

[Princess Fiona]

Personal choice; and it comes with living in a free thinking democratic society. Some may not think it is fair but it is the way it should be in a country such as ours.

Matt

I agree with you. I do however think from an ethical standpoint, it's difficult to see how an individual would be prepared to accept organ donation given freely by consent from the grieving family of another individual but not be prepared to give the same consent if the roles were reversed. Quite unconscionable to me actually.