To Donate or Not To Donate

[Trouble]

Hey guys

I've been thinking lately how few organ donors out there there are.
So, I decided, in the reptile community, to see how many of us are organ donors.

I am very close to this subject, as I'm waiting on the list for a set of lungs. and a few of my friends are too.
It hurts when one of us passes on because people don't want to be organ donors. Maybe because of 'religion' or because the family doesn't believe in dismembering the body before the funeral. Who knows.
But my opinion is - why not donate? You can save someone elses life by giving them a second chance. You can't use your organs in the afterlife anyway.
Some people can not donate because of health reasons, which I totally understand.

if you can explain a bit more about your choice, it would be greatly appreciated.

sorry if this offends some people, I don't mean it to.. I'm just curious.
please don't turn this into a massive debate.

here is a touching video of what an organ donor can do to help a person. David suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and only had 2 hours to live when he recieved the call for a double lung transplant... both him, and his twin brother, have had double lung transplants because of lovely people that are donors. They are also clowns. Peebo & Dagwood are their stage names. We wouldn't have their laughter and entertainment if it wasn't because of their donors.

[video=youtube;j2q3aSZ8M0E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2q3aSZ8M0E[/video]

Thank you, and I look forward to your answers,
Tameah.

 

[shellfisch]

Myself, my husband, our kids, my mum and dad..extended family.
I don't think there is anyone I know of who isn't an organ donor.

You don't need them when you are gone, just be sure to tell your family of your wishes.

 

[FusionMorelia]

yeah i will donate same with the missus, cant take ya guts with ya when ya go so why not help someone live when ya die,
i just hope they give it to someone deserving not like that heroin addict they gave a liver to only to ruin it by using smack again,
only deserving people should get transfers.

 

[emma_jane]

I am registered as an organ donor with the Australian Organ Donor Register. A lot of people don't realise that to become an organ donor, it is important to register with the Australian Organ Donor Register, rather than just ticking the "organ donor" box when applying for a drivers license.

A lot of people also do not realise just how hard it is to find organs suitable for donation - they can only come from someone who has been declared brain dead in the ICU. That means that when people die through other means, their organs may not be used, significantly limiting the number of organs available. This number is also significantly reduced when you keep in mind that many diseases will rule out the possibility of someone being an organ donor

I am studying medicine and there is a huge focus on the importance of organ donation. One of my lecturers is one of the oldest people living with cystic fibrosis, and he was so ill that he was unable to even cross the road without becoming severely short of breath and having to rest. He received a double lung and heart transplant 5 or so years ago, and he was able to return to work.

All the best for your new pair of lungs

 

[unicorns_dreams]

i'm a donor i dont need it when i go so someone else can have it, I know it will make a difference.

 

[dossy]

yeah i will donate same with the missus, cant take ya guts with ya when ya go so why not help someone live when ya die,
i just hope they give it to someone deserving not like that heroin addict they gave a liver to only to ruin it by using smack again,
only deserving people should get transfers.

the problm with donations are you have no say in were or how they are used, my mate is in medical school and the things he describes to me that alot of people do with the tings is horrible.

yes give orgns to people who deserve them, ie ppl who have a sickness that is not brought on by them selves like smoking or exesive drinking ( i think its called sorosues). but thats the hard bit you have no say.

on my licnce i am not registed as a donor because i forgot to tick the box and i have never gotn round to fixing it

 

[shellfisch]

on my licnce i am not registed as a donor because i forgot to tick the box and i have never gotn round to fixing it

Your drivers licence really does not matter. Its unlikely that in the event of an accident the people who need to know are going to be checking.
Whats important is that your family members know of your wishes. They are the ones who will get asked the question.

And you can also register as a donor online.

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/aodr/index.jsp

This first page gives you information, and from there, you can register your wishes.

 

[emma_jane]

the problm with donations are you have no say in were or how they are used, my mate is in medical school and the things he describes to me that alot of people do with the tings is horrible.

yes give orgns to people who deserve them, ie ppl who have a sickness that is not brought on by them selves like smoking or exesive drinking ( i think its called sorosues). but thats the hard bit you have no say.

What horrible things do they do with people's organs? At med school we use donated bodies to learn anatomy and such, but these must be specifically donated to medical or scientific research at the university.

For people to receive an organ donation for a self-caused disease due to smoking/drinking etc, they must prove that they have quit for a considerable amount of time before they are eligible. And even then, those with genuine disease (that they had no control over) are usually placed higher on the wait list. There are a lot of different things that are considered to determine where someone is placed on the waiting list.

 

[waruikazi]

You should have an 'I'm not sure' option in your poll.

 

[Jen]

My mother died when I was 16 from a lung disease called Cryptogenic Fibrosing Alveolitis. She was awaiting a heart/lung transplant but would have had to have organs from a child as her body had refilled the space where the lungs had died and shrunk. I am a donor and proud to be, but it doesn't always matter if you are a donor, your organs may not be viable. My boyfriend died in a car accident when I was 24 - he was 26 - but because he died at the scene his organs were not viable. So the more people who are donors, the more chance there is that viable organs will be available. Make your wishes clear by ticking the box on your license and tell all your friends and family.

 

[Trouble]

thank you for the replies everyone

Yes, unfortunately just ticking the box doesn't make you a donor anymore. it comes down to registering with the Aus Organ Donor roll. But also, it comes down to your family's final word, so telling everyone you love your final wish could really help.

Jen - that is awful, I'm so sorry for both your losses. It is definitely the waiting time (mentally) that is the scary part.
It's not fair to lose a loved one because of organ shortages. Yes, unfortunately if the person has died 'x' amount of hrs beforehand or there was severe trauma to the body, the organs will not be viable.
That happened to one of my mates waiting for a transplant a couple of weeks back. he's been on the list for 2 weeks now (quite a short time) and 10 days after he was put on the list, he received the call for a possible match. Unfortunately he was half way to the hospital and the hospital called and said to turn around, the lungs weren't viable.

What really ticks me off is that ex-smokers can be donors...
Emma_Jane is right about the listing procedure though, people with serious illness get priority. But it also goes on exact match.

Emma_Jane - that's a lovely ending to the story Medicine at Uni would be an awesome topic to study.

Thank goodness they're finding new ways to help improve organ life and transplant donation. There's a lot more behind the scenes you don't see. Every day I am thankful I am here.

 

[junglepython2]

What really ticks me off is that ex-smokers can be donors...
.

Why does that tick you off?

 

[FAY]

I plan on dying after I at least turn 100. :lol::lol:
I doubt my organs will be good for anything, except fertiliser.

 

[FusionMorelia]

what really ticks me off is that ex-smokers can be donors...

so my parts arnt good enough cause i used to smoke eh, fine i hope you dont ever get my parts when i kick off!
or anyone like you.

 

[Trouble]

Why does that tick you off?

so my parts arnt good enough cause i used to smoke eh, fine i hope you dont ever get my parts when i kick off!
or anyone like you.

because why would you want damaged lungs in you when you've been struggling to breathe for so long? It's like having a alcoholics liver... it kind of defeats the purpose of having a transplant in the first place...

NatoRey - sorry if I sounded like a snob, but after struggling to breathe for so long, little things like that can p**s you off. I'm sure ex-smokers other organs would be useable, just not the lungs imo.


hahaha that's funny Fay

 

[junglepython2]

Not all organs are affected by smoking like the lungs are.........

 

[FusionMorelia]

they dont transplant diseased parts.......

 

[Sel]

Why does that tick you off?

Was wondering that too.

 

[emma_jane]

If you read these articles, then maybe you will understand why a young girl who has been sick her whole life with a lung condition would like to receive a healthy pair of lungs.

Soldier dies after receiving smoker's lungs in transplant - CNN.com

'Brutal reality' of sick transplant patients given the lungs of smokers, warns top surgeon | Mail Online

Of course, to limit organ donation to only those who have lived perfectly healthy lifestyles would significantly reduce the number of viable organs available and is thus not possible, I can see why someone who is so sick that they need someone else's organ would like a healthy one.

 

[rio_rat]

i didnt realise i had to regiter- not just tick. have done so now