Organ Donation

[wimic]

Are you and organ donor? what's your take on organ donation? How about buying organs online? (apparently this is the new craze)!

[vniow]

How about buying organs online? (apparently this is the new craze)!

Haha, what?

[wimic]

Haha, what?

I know! I hear ya! It sounded crazy to me too - but apparently you can purchase human organs online now! I saw an article in the newspaper the other day that said that a man had a kidney transplant with a kidney that he had purchased on the internet! *black market* maybe? no idea to be honest... but it's kinda scary to think that this is what the world's coming to!

wendy

[Applespider]

Where's the option for 'Not Yet'?

I'm on the donor register and my family know that I'd rather my organs were used if possible should I meet an unexpected death.

Not keen on the idea of organs being for sale. Leads to dangerous situations for those who need quick cash and who aren't going to care about the consequences. That risk might be fine if it's your child/brother dying but risking your health for cash?

[MultiM]

My organs are available for use as soon as I am finished with them. As for selling a kidney or part of my liver: they are mine and I can do what I want. Do you have enough cash to make it worth my while? I can, however, appreciate the downside of "Organs for Sale". Bad stuff can happen.

Just as important: Do you have a Living Will??? Your wishes should come before anyone else's when it comes to the state of your health if you cannot directly answer for yourself.

[iGary]

I'm an organ donor and it's in my advance directives that they can pluck my eyes out and take whatever else they want if it's functional and can help someone else.

I am sure not going to give a crap.

[ZoomZoomZoom]

I'm an organ donor, but it was not too easy for me to become one. A few years ago, when I got my license, my mother didn't want to let me become a donor because she's paranoid about doctors letting me die in the event of a car accident so that they could harvest my organs. I managed to argue it to her eventually though, and she finally let me get my license and register as a donor.

[nbs2]

Unfortunately I don't have any control over the distribution of my organs. I don't generally agree with the decision process, and there are certain people (in non-suspect classes) that I would rather not receive my organs, and I don't think I can place those controls. For example, I have no desire to see my liver in an alcoholic or my lungs in a smoker...

Until those controls are available, my name will stay off the registry (although before I really considered the topic, I was on the registry).

[Doctor Q]

I'm on the donor list for whatever parts they can use - eyes, skin, heart, lungs, or dual core processor. But they can't have them just yet.

I'm also on the registry of the National Marrow Donor Program (http://www.marrow.org/).

But they can't have my Q hat at all, even if somebody without one claims they need it. They can recycle the rest of me, but I say let 'em get their own Q hat!

[katie ta achoo]

I'm not gonna use 'em when I'm dead. :)
(yup, I have the donor sticker on my license)

[ZoomZoomZoom]

For example, I have no desire to see my liver in an alcoholic or my lungs in a smoker...

That's why you gotta donate the eyes :D

[®îçhå®?]

I'm not a registered organ donor but i want to be. I feel that if people can benefit frommy death, thenm they should. A piece of you can always live on as well.

[KingYaba]

Hey man, if I'm dead take whatever. I'm not using it. :D

As for the sale of one's organs, I have no problem with it. It would probably cut the waiting time for organ donations. Plus, if someone is short on cash, sell a kidney!

[Lau]

Definitely — no worries about it at all. I'm gonna be rotting away, so whoever needs 'em gets 'em. :)

I don't really worry about the theory that they might be more likely to flick the switch if you're a registered donor, as even of it were to happen, you'd have to be in a pretty bad way for them to do it, and I doubt you'd be aware of it, really.

I freely admit to not having looked up any statistics to this theory, but surely if more people donated then there would be less of a need for a black market in organs? Or is it that the organs aren't suitable? Either way, I'm very wary of the idea of organs being bought and sold — anyone seen Dirty Pretty Things (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301199/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9ZGlydHkgcHJldHR5IHRoaW5nc3xmdD0xfG14PTIwfGxtPTUwMHxjbz0x fGh0bWw9MXxubT0x;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1)?

[mkrishnan]

Apple should sell organs online through iTMS so that people in Greece will have one more thing to bitch about. :eek: ;) :D

FWIW, I'm an organ donor. Why not. I don't want this body anymore after I'm done with it....

[Blue Velvet]

I've already donated some body parts to medical science. Truly. ;)

[miniConvert]

I'm not an organ donor in any official capacity. It's one of those things I'd like to discuss with my family, but the little time we spend together is so precious we don't exactly get on to such matters.

At the end of the day I'm happy for my redundant body to be used to benefit others to the fullest extent medically possible, if my family are happy with it too. Hell, if I can stay on this wonderful planet for a few years longer, even if it's as a liver in someone elses body, then so be it. :P

[dukebound85]

hmm ill be the first to say no freaking way. i dont want to be cut up when im dead.

however, with that out of the way i fully endorse stem cell research that could be used to regrow organs that have a 100% acceptance in the person's body since it is your own cells.

as far as ethical issues, hopefully scientists will find a way to create these stem cells that will not be from a blytocast(spelling error there probably) that could be potentially be a fetus if it were inserted in a uterous.

however as it stands right now, the ethics reolve around where you believe life starts and for me personally, i define life starting once it can support itself without the help of another organism.

i know some may disagree but thats where i stand so dont try to change my viewpoint.....much like trying to argue religion whats the point you know :cool:


as far as buying organs online....yea no way should that be permitted in my opinion. that will only benifit the rich and neglect the poor.

but then the question has to be asked when the president or someone of much importance needs an organ, does he have more of a right then an old lady or poor person for example? i would say yes he does for the president serves a greater good for society as a whole. where to draw that line of importance though is also very iffy

glad im not a supreme court judge lol

[dukebound85]

Hey man, if I'm dead take whatever. I'm not using it. :D

As for the sale of one's organs, I have no problem with it. It would probably cut the waiting time for organ donations. Plus, if someone is short on cash, sell a kidney!


ooh i dunno, i would have to think then that people would be selling body parts just to survive which in itself can not be good.

would the homeless people all the sudden sacrifice their wellbeing just to buy food?? i dont know if i like the consequences of that to be honest.

maybe a program could be set up to be paid for in advance for your organs but the organs would be used once one passes away. that may be viable as those who wan to donate could do so as well

[Mord]

yep, I have no qualms about it, but I've signed up for it multiple times in different ways, so I'm pictureing multiple people argueing over who gets what at the scene of my death.

[Doctor Q]

I talked to a man whose wife was killed in a traffic accident. All of her organs were donated, including skin and eyes. Later, his daughter was killed in another traffic accident and her organs were donated too. It was a horrible story but he took comfort that lives of multiple other people were saved by those donations.

Let's hope that we all live full lives before our components are recycled.

[spicyapple]

How about buying organs online? (apparently this is the new craze)!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ia04u0u8J8s
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0wtSV_BEf14
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DiB3e61N6gI

:eek:

[dukebound85]

does anyone know if you are a minor, do your parents have the final say if you donate your oragns or not?

[zap2]

They can have anything from me...and if there is something they can't use, cremate the rest of me.


As for selling your organs....I think it puts poor people it a bad spot...why not use them until you die then donate them, or donate anything you can live without or part of it(if you want to) Why make money off of dieing people?

[Doctor Q]

Are there any major religions that consider donating organs to be inappropriate? Are there countries where it is not accepted in the culture?

[mkrishnan]

Are there any major religions that consider donating organs to be inappropriate? Are there countries where it is not accepted in the culture?

I thought this was interesting:

http://www.transplantforlife.org/miracles/religion.html

Even some I would've guessed would oppose seem to be supportive, according to this.

[Ugg]

does anyone know if you are a minor, do your parents have the final say if you donate your oragns or not?.

Yep, they do. Even if you're of age your family can still overrule your wishes. As a minor, if you want to be an organ donor, you need to talk to your parents about it.

[Lau]

I thought this was interesting:

http://www.transplantforlife.org/miracles/religion.html

Even some I would've guessed would oppose seem to be supportive, according to this.

It is interesting — I thought Jehovah's Witnesses wouldn't allow it as they don't allow blood transfusions as a rule, but it seems so according to that link.

[Doctor Q]

Thanks, mkrishnan, that is indeed very interesting. It seems that Gypsy tradition and Shinto are the two at odds with organ donation.

It was surprising to see organ donation described as "obligatory" for Judaism.

It also says that the Greek Orthodox can donate organs for others, but not bodies for research, and that the Amish limit organ donation to cases where the recipient needs it, which probably rules out harvesting before a specific recipient has been identified.

[Ezekiel]

I once sold a piano, not sure if that counts?

[Doctor Q]

I once sold a piano, not sure if that counts?Nope, you must give the piano away free to be an organ donor. ;)

[takao]

in austria it's reversed you have to register if you _don't_ want to donate

but i guess it's limited to inner organs like kidneys/heart/liver etc.


that means i'm on the donor list automatically

[Eraserhead]

I don't generally agree with the decision process, and there are certain people (in non-suspect classes) that I would rather not receive my organs, and I don't think I can place those controls. For example, I have no desire to see my liver in an alcoholic or my lungs in a smoker...

Until those controls are available, my name will stay off the registry (although before I really considered the topic, I was on the registry).

Except at least in the UK those people are highly unlikely to get your organs, as they want to give them to the best candidates...

in austria it's reversed you have to register if you _don't_ want to donate

but i guess it's limited to inner organs like kidneys/heart/liver etc.


that means i'm on the donor list automatically

Which is a good idea, as many people never get round to it.

[Phat Elvis]

My wife had this discussion with a bunch of teachers once. Several of them said that they were not organ donors because they didn't want to pay the extra $1 for their license (in Pennsylvania they ask you if you want to donate a dollar to research - it is not obligatory). There is so much wrong with that: the stupidity not to know that it is a voluntary donation, the greed to not want to part with a dollar, and the lack of introspective thought to realize that it is their own fears of mortality that are keeping them from helping others. Whew. -end of rant-

I've worked with many transplant recipients. If people saw first hand the difference that organ donation makes then there would be little hesitation. You cannot direct your organs (for many reasons) but chances are very good that they will go to a regular person who was just dealt a crappy hand - especially kids.

[ziwi]

wouldn't the sale of organs increase the possibility of harvesting them pre-maturely? It is at least possible. I always think of the possibility since hearing that bathtub of ice and no kidney urban myth...;)

[extraextra]

I'm an organ donor, but not a research donor or whatever. Most likely you'd end up in a college lab where high school kids come and poke your dead body all day (I've been to them, and I don't want my body there, lol).

I specifically requested not to have my eyes be donated though. Everything else is fine, but I still want my eyes when I'm dead. :o

They don't charge you an extra dollar to be a donor in California. I don't think. The sum was so outrageous ( :p ) for my liscence anyways (it was something around $20) that I probably wouldn't have noticed an extra dollar added on.

[Doctor Q]

I'm an organ donor, but not a research donor or whatever. Most likely you'd end up in a college lab where high school kids come and poke your dead body all day (I've been to them, and I don't want my body there, lol).Good for you. You did what counted most.

I guess you wouldn't want to become a museum exhibit either. I saw that show. While it was a bit off-putting, it was an excellent educational experience for me and many others.

ziwi, your concern is a good reason not to pay people for donating organs. Even getting paid for blood donation is questionable, because it could lead to people hiding the fact that they are not eligible, including cases where their blood is unsafe for others.

[jknight8907]

Absolutely. I won't need them while I'm dead, and I'm sure it's within God's power to give me some new ones after I'm done with the dead bit. I basically spend my life helping people, might as well give 'em an organ too.

[livingfortoday]

I'll be the first to say I'm an organ donor for purely selfish reasons. I've always been scared of being buried alive (don't ask), so I figure if they've scooped out my insides there's much less of a chance of me waking up underground.

Plus, I'm hoping my organs act like Snake's hair on the Simpsons and allow me to seize control of host bodies.

[Counterfit]

after I'm done with the dead bit
"I tried being dead once. Boring as all ****."

I'm pretty sure no one would actually want my eyes, and by the time I'm done with it, my liver wouldn't be all that desirable either (:D), but they can have my spleen and gall bladder.
I've always been scared of being buried alive (don't ask), so I figure if they've scooped out my insides there's much less of a chance of me waking up underground.
Same here. Being buried alive is one of my greatest fears.