Who here would support an automatic organ donation program unless one opts out? Say a "I am not a donor" card?

Question

Instead of a television program? Wouldn't that increase organ donations?

Thanks for all answers. This is just a discussion.

Answer 1

Wouldn't it be nice if it wasn't necessary, if everyone would give freely to those who needed it? Won't happen, sadly. My organ donation card is signed though.

Answer 2

I'm up for that.
Donor card carrier here of course, even though technically, as I've been a diabetic for ten years, there's not likely to be much that's any use to some other poor sod. Personally, I have very little truck with the "but it's mine!" mentality that sees perfectly good organs wasted while others desperately need them. But then, my mother always used to say, when I told her I wanted bits of me donated if I died, that she'd destroy the card and deny access to my organs, because the grief would be too strong if I died. I guess there's that angle of people's feelings to take into account, but I wasn't terribly sympathetic to it then, and I'm not terribly sympathetic to it now - you can give someone else the chance to live a better life (or indeed liver better life) by donating bits you no longer need. Where's the bad? Especially since every hour of moral wrangling and hemming and hawing deteriorates the quality of the organ. Get 'em out, get 'em into someone else and get 'em stabilised, I say.

Answer 3

Yes, absolutely. That's how it should be, although I don't mind the United States' version of it - checking the box on one's driver's license (do all states do that?).

I am, personally, an organ donor, but my husband doesn't want his organs donated unless it's to scientific research - and so it would be great to have a card that allows us to express those preferences.

Answer 4

I would support it absolutely, I thought it was Sweden that operated this system already, basically everyone donates unless they make a declaration and carry a card to the contrary, I think most people would donate their organs, but few carry a valid donor card. When my little boy died I donated everything they could use, it gave me comfort to know that his death had not been in vain.

Answer 5

I don't know if that's such a good idea. I had cancer years ago so I would imagine my organs would not be safe to donate. If I died in a car accident and they just took my organs, how would they know? Do they take the time to do thorough checks of medical records for potential donors? Organ transplants have to be done quite quickly.

Answer 6

I think that would cause legal waves because the person didn't explicitly specify that they wanted to be a donor. I can just imagine the ramifications of that with the family involved. At least my family knows that my organ donation symbol on my license is there because I expressly said I wanted to be a donor.

Answer 7

I would absolutely support it, that's how it should be. I've carried a donor card for years, and have been on the National Bone Marrow registry for 20 years. I've never been asked to donate marrow, but I'm there if they need me.

I take chemotherapy and immunosuppressant drugs for my RA, so I am unable at this time to donate even blood unless I stop my treatment for 4 months prior to donation.

Still, I carry my card in the hopes that, upon my death, *something* may still be useable.

Answer 8

Excellent idea! I am a donor and pray that others will see what awesome gifts they can give to others after their own passing. When we leave this world, we will not need anything but our souls! What a blessing it will be to me and my family if they know I can give a person the chance to look into someone elses eyes, feel their heart beating strong when they run, know that they won't have to be on Dialysis or whatever way my donation will bless a desperately needed person. After all God gave me this body on loan, if I can give back to someone else, then I say Praise the Lord!

Answer 9

In Australia, your license gets marked with wheteher or not you are a donor.

Apparently most organs for transplants come from accident victims.

The system works well, but there's still a shortage.

Using people's own stem cells to grow organ replacements is only about twenty years away and is the ultimate solution.

In the meantime, people need to ask themselves what use their organs are to them when they die if they can be used to save another person's life.

Answer 10

Organ donation is meant to be about choice. Compulsory programmes have been resisted because of the unpopularity of anything that shows the state telling people what to do. Taking their body parts unless they say don't is a real hot potato. Personally I think it would be a good idea, but my view is irrelevant. I'm a donor card carrier anyway.

Answer 11

I'm already a donor, so I have no problem with your suggested program. I've never understood people who refuse to be organ donors, the only reason I can think of would be disease.