PSA: Become Organ Donors

[Cerbernator]

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Members do not see this ad.

please

http://www.organdonor.gov/

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

...and help spread the word: http://studentdonor.org

👍

 

[YML]

I just finished reading a book called "Stiff" by Mary Roach about the history of cadvers and thier use, including organ donations. Contrary to popular belief, your body is NOT always used for disection in medical school and your organs do NOT always go to save the 4 year old with congenital heart disease.
There are some pretty scary stories in the book about what I view as morally wrong and highly disagreable misusses of bodies and organs dedicated to "science".

Im not saying don't donate your organs, just educate yourself before you advocate for others to do so.
😱

 

[MoosePilot]

I read that book, too. Very interesting material.

My wife is a 2x heart transplant recipient in her 20s, so I know what a huge impact organ donation can have. The most important thing is to educate your family and let them know your wishes, because generally it's their decision when the time comes. You receive the exact same medical treatment and it doesn't cost you or your family anything (sorry if it's condescending to say, but those are two issues I hear about often).

Thanks Cerb for the plug!

 

[WalterSobchakk]

Yeah! Everybody donate organs! 👍 👍

 

[Tiki Tiki Tembo]

One reason holding me back is the fear that a hospital might see the potential for my organs to go to 5 different people and not "do everything possible" to save me because of that. Something to think about.

Not everyone is the ethical being they sould be.

 

[WalterSobchakk]

Doctors don't get any commission on organs they harvest, I think that this isn't really an issue.

 

[care bear]

cerberus, i think this is the first point you have ever made in a thread that i agree with. 🙂

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

One reason holding me back is the fear that a hospital might see the potential for my organs to go to 5 different people and not "do everything possible" to save me because of that. Something to think about.

Not everyone is the ethical being they sould be.

This is a very common misunderstanding of the organ donation process. First of all, the people who recover and place the life-saving organs are completely seperate from the care-givers of the dying patient. The physicians for the possible donor receive no compensation for securing an individual for donation, and in this medical malpractice crazy world, physicians have a very strong incentive to assure that their patient recieves the best of care.
Second, only those that suffer brain-death while on ventilation in a hospital may become donors, usually after a heart attack or stroke. If someone dies in the ER or on the operating table, this person may not be used as an organ donor due to strict medical criteria and time constraints. So the typical concern of an EMT allowing someone to die after a car accident is acutally not conducive to organ donation.
Third and final, organ donation is about saving lives, period. It makes no sense to kill someone off to maybe save another life...
With that said, please sign a donor card and talk to your family about donation. You cant take your organs with you when you die; why not let them help someone else live? 🙂 👍

 

[MoosePilot]

One reason holding me back is the fear that a hospital might see the potential for my organs to go to 5 different people and not "do everything possible" to save me because of that. Something to think about.

Not everyone is the ethical being they sould be.

Doesn't anybody read other posts? I addressed this one, although SanDiegoSOD addressed it much better. Thanks!

 

[DrThom]

Any self-respecting doctor-wannabe should be an organ donor.

 

[Samus Aran]

My organs won't do me any good when I'm dead. 👍

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Any self-respecting doctor-wannabe should be an organ donor.

Well, it is a very personal choice. Some people are highly distrubed by the thought that their organs may be taken from them after they die, and simply don't want that to happen. Although I have spent countless hours promoting organ and tissue donation, I respect the decision not to donate if someone has actually thought it through. But I think people focus on the wrong aspect of donation - what will happen to them, rather than what will happen to people should others decide not to donate. It's easy to forget that thousands die every year due to the lack of organ donation. I think it's worth getting over the discomfort of the thought that your body parts may be distributed (after your death has been confirmed by three doctors) when those body parts may save the lives of up to 8 people, and improve the lives of 50 more.

I had the pleasure of observing an organ recovery just last week. A sixty-eight year old woman had a stroke in the middle of dinner, and was rushed to the hospital. An embolism was lodged in her brain, and despite the doctor's best efforts, she passed away in the night. Her family consented to donation, and her both of her kidneys were deemed eligible for donation. The day after the organ recovery, the kidneys were placed in a 17-year old boy, and a 41 year old mother of five, saving both of their lives. Two lives were saved by the woman's gift of life. Sounds like a good thing to me 😀 😀

 

[akimbo]

Speaking of... there's a great article in this week's New Yorker about Zell Kravinsky. Mr. Kravinsky is a philanthropist who has donated away his $45 million fortune, and then felt like he had to do more. So he gave away one of his kidneys in a nondirected donation.

Now he advocates for and promotes nondirected donations. The article brings up some very interesting ethical ideas, particularly about "organ brokering". I highly recommend.

 

[Quynh2007]

yup, if more people donate blood, maybe the black market in china, taking organs from prisoners, will decrease.