Whats your view on organ donation on your death ? For or Against !

[LochNessMonster]

Thought this would be a good question to raise for us all on Answerbank

[LoftyLottie]

In my opinion Opting in is fine, but there should never be a system where you have to opt out. It opens up all sorts of issues.

I am in agreement with Rowan and NOX in this. I am not sure I would want to extend my own life with a donated organ, basically because I can't cope with hospitals and ongoing problems. I sort of know I would rather die than undergo such major procedures. I am not sure how I would feel if a close relative needed an organ, but I do know I would never give consent for a loved ones organs to be used - I couldn't cope with it.

[sunny-dave]

In reply to paul - if there are plenty of organs to go round then I agree with you - but in a time of shortage surely those who would give should be given preference in deciding who receives ?

[pa___ul3]

I don't think it's as simple as that though is it? I doubt it would really come down to that being a deciding factor, it needs to be a match in relative proximity doesn't it?
If you have an order or preference taking that into consideration, arguments could arise for other orders of preference and that could be problematic to say the least. There could be a number of reasons behind someone's refusal to donate and I don't think it's fair to judge people on that.

[RATTER15]

I hope that neither myself or a loved one will ever need a transplanted organ and I hope I am never in the position of being asked to sign for a organ to be removed from a loved one. I think that if I could bring myself to give permission under such circumstances, I would always know I had done the right thing. As for myself, when im dead, help yourself, I wont be needing all this stuff, actually all still working pretty good at the moment.

[LoftyLottie]

"There could be a number of reasons behind someone's refusal to donate and I don't think it's fair to judge people on that."

I completely agree. It is an emotive subject.

[RATTER15]

Another thought, if my 54 year old heart or whatever was put into a much younger person, would the heart always be that much older or would a younger body regenerate the tissue effectively turning it into a much younger heart or would it always be a 54 year old heart and carry on deteriorating as such?

If you see what I mean.

[sunny-dave]

I have no problem at all with people who say (for religious or any other reason) that they wouldn't accept an organ and can't face donating one - that is a straightforward choice that any humane society must give people.

In other circumstances though (and perhaps I'm guilty of applying a logical, scientific mind to a human problem) I don't see "it's an emotive issue" as a get-out-of-jail-free card.

To my mind there is a total disconnect between

* I can't bring myself to donate my organs after death

and

* I am willing to accept a donated organ from someone else

that just seems wrong to me.


Once you are an adult, capable of taking hard, adult decisions, you should either be inside the "transplants using human organs are valid" system or outside it - being in a halfway 'taking but not giving' position seems (to me at least) to be fundamentally immoral.

[TheOtherHalf]

Im all for it too. If they can be of any help to someone else, especially in tragic circumstances. They will be of no use to me. I believe once youve gone, youve gone, your body is just a shell, although your spirit may live on, you dont need these organs to do that. But I agree, its not an easy subject especially when your family is already under stress of losing a loved one

[chaptazbru]

I agree with LoftyLottie on this one.

[karenmac60]

I always was for it, but having gone through my husband's second transplant with him and seeing the difference it has made to his life, I cannot understand why anyone would refuse. If a person is dead, they are dead. Leaving perfectly good organs to rot away with them when they could save lives seems pretty spiteful to me. Would you throw away food if the person next to you was starving to death?

[quinie]

I've just read all the comments-makes interesting reading.I've had a donor card for years and find it hard to understand why anyone would find it hard to donate an organ or refuse to have an organ transplant. My daughter got a kidney transplant after years of dialysis and now has a better quality of life. I suppose some people will have good reasons for their views but as far as I'm concerned if any part of me can help somebody after I die then that's marvellous.

[DTCwordfan]

For.

Especially if my genitals.

[paddywak]

I've carried a donor card for years and all my family know my feelings on this subject. When your die you're just a few stone of of dead meat if any body can get any useful bits out of me they're welcome to them. Its a lot better then just throwing them in a hole to rot or burning them.