Organ Donor - opt in or opt out

[ali_alic]

My friends and I had a bit of a discussion about this and I would like to know ABers opinions. To put it simplisticly I believe if you are willing to receive (for you or on behalf of someone else, child etc), you should be willing to give. To this end I think Organ Donations should be on an opt out basis. This would cover all those people with religious beliefs who are against it who could opt out and would cover all those people who have no objection but just never got round to getting a donor. I know some people would state that it may be hard to prove you have opted out when you've been involved in a bad accident, but surely on the whole the greater good would be served??
If the majority of us, even by default, were donors this would also take away a lot of the "don't trust 'em to wait until I'm dead" fears as hopefully there will be a lot more organs to go round.
By the way I am both a blood and organ donor. Over 60 pints of blood so far!

[PullMyFinger]

I would donor my body parts and blood for sure.. why not? anybody who wouldnt is just selfish. Are people really that vain to worry about what they look like when there dead.
Take an eye of mine if Im dead and it will give someone else site... In a weird way Id still be alive then.

[cameo]

i agree. i think there should be an 'opt out' donor card. eventually people would just except the concept of organ donation. it would just become 'the norm'.

[PullMyFinger]

I also agree with you cameo

[raysparx]

Hi ali,

I think the opt out scheme makes sense,but needs monitoring very closely,it would be to easy to let people then die,if say might be paralysed after an accident to save someone who needed liver and kidney transplant, so in theory yes but,every sudden death seriously looked at,you could end up with surgeons like shipman otherwise.

Ray

[ali_alic]

Thanks everyone - glad to see we all seem to be on the same wavelength. I definately agree that if we do have an opt out system that it needs to be monitored as I take your point raysparx, however, we don't have an opt out system and we did have a "Shipman" But surely if it became the norm then there wouldn't be such a need or black market for organs??

[tradey]

ive wanted to be a dona for years,but my family keep saying no,i just think if i can help someone when im gone wouldnt that be nice,and come on i wont need them,been trying to change there minds for ages,the last thing is just ot do it then they cant say anything,well i hope they cant

[~Wingnut~]

Hi ali and everyone :o)

As some of you may know as I have mentioned on here before, my husband has had 2 kidney transplant. One years before I met him, which sadly failed before we could even celebrate our first wedding anniversary. His second after over 3 years on the waiting list, was nearly 3 years ago. So this is obviously something I feel very strongly about :o)
I believe we should have the opt out too, but like Ray says it needs to be closely monitored.
From a partner's side of view that day we got the phonecall in the early hours I can truly say I will never ever forget. The amount of emotions you go thru is unbelievable and it isn't cut and dry as "Oh there's a kidney for him everything is going to be ok" it hit me that someone had died in order for my young children to have a father again and for him to have a better quality of life! I actually grieved for the family even though I didn't know them and I will forever be greatful to them for letting their loved one's organs be donated. It's just such a rollercoaster of emotions.
Sorry for the long thread, but wanted to put it from the point of view of someone organ donation has helped.

[ali_alic]

Hi tradey - yuo can certainly become a donor whatever age you are, however your parents (or guardian) have to agree if you are under 16. But surely if you lying there (God forbid) with no chance of survival and your parents realise your wishes (by you carrying a card or by beening registered) surely that would carry some weight in there decision process? if you log onto the NHS site www.uktransplant.org.uk, it explains everything and also allows you to be registered, so you don't necessarily need your card on you.

[raysparx]

Hi wingnut,

Glad to hear your hubby is well after all that turmoil,it does not touch just the patient,does it.

that is real emotion,as you say sadly,somebody has to die in order for smebody to live, if all were on an opt out scheme at lest the family of the donor would not have such a decision to make,shall we shan't we,while they are in such a sad state of mind,very emotive and sensible question, of which we need more on here, take care, Ray xx

[ali_alic]

Hi Wingnut

Thanks for replying it is nice to get an opinion from "the other side" of things. I fortunately have not had that experience and , touch wood, hopefully I won't. However I would even be willing to be a "living" donor, ie kidney and liver (I think you can donate half your liver, can't you) if any of my loved ones needed it. I am unfortunately too old to be a marrow donor but I will continue to give blood.

Glad to hear your hubby is OK now.

Ali xx

[mycats]

I agree with the opt out scheme too, I have registered on the donor list (have been since I was 15) and my family all know about my wishes.
I think it's a ridiculous idea to say that doctors would "let people die" just so that they could get their organs!! Of course they wouldnt!

[Pippa68]

I would love to doate my organs & my blood ~ unfortunately I can't donate blood anymore as I have had a transfusion..apparently they won't accept my blood now as they changed the rules since the CJD issue.

I suppose this means I can't donate my organs either? it might complicate things if they have to trawl through medical records, when time is of the essence!

[Pippa68]

Forgot to add ~ If I were in the unfortunate position of losing one of my children, I would not hesitate in giving consent for their organs to be used.

[raysparx]

Mycats,

how can you say it is ridiculous,? look at what shipman did , it has got to be closely monitored, I know it would be a slim chance of it happening,but it must be made that it couldn't happen.

[ali_alic]

Pippa68 - all organs are screened for problems prior to transplant - so I can't see why not. I think you are just banned from blood doning as they can't go to the expense of that level of screening each time you donate. I know some organs are used even with existing medical conditions!

[ali_alic]

raysparx - I think mycats means that Shipman had nothing to do with organ donating - he did it for his own weird and wonderful reasons. This sort of thing happens whether or not you opt out of doning or whether euthanasia is legalised or not. And no matter how much monitoring you do it will continue to happen. There will always be one that slips through the net. But yes, I think everyone agrees that strict monitoring is needed as it will stop some, but unfortunately, not all abuses.

[Supernick]

Think that I might get myslf on the donor list this week. I can't actually think why I haven't ever thought of it before. Been a blood doner for 5 or so years, and it's torture. They can never find the vein and I've been timed out before as I'm too slow at relinquishing my precious blood. But it's a completely selfless, good thing to do. Actually in my case, that's rubbish. I only went to blood doning the first time because a truly beautiful girl that I fancied told me she was going, and I said I'd go with her ;)

[unruliejulie]

Hi ali_alic, i couldn't agree more! I find it incredibly sad that more people don't donate. I think you have to ask the question, would i recieve either for myself or my family. If the answer is yes then there is only one option in my opinion. I am a registered organ donor as is my husband and certainly if, God forbid, anything happened to either of my sons, i would want them to somehow live on through someone else. I wouldn't feel so much like they had died in vain. I have had the organ donation conversation before on AB and it was very positive.I registered online and it only took a few minutes of my time, for which someone else could get years of life from. I think the opt out option is a great idea because i think that its not so much of a case of people being against donating but more of a case of them not having really thought about it. With opt out it would give the chance for those adamant that they don't want to do it say so whereas the ones who don't really consider it,would!

[ali_alic]

Supernick - naughty but nice. Tho I can't take the high ground on your reasons. I was a mere 17 year old (30+years ago) when I first went (Oxford Circus site) but that was because two colleagues were going and they happened to mention that you got a free guiness at the end of it. Gutted when I found out it was only a small amount!! But got it nevertheless. Lived in Ameriac for a while (9mths or so) at the age of 19 and sad to say, sold pints of the stuff over there. There were no restrictions on how often you donated so fridays were always a good option as you got drink money for the weekend and you didn't need as much to get tipsy. How young and foolish we are in our youth!! However, in my defence I continued doing it through all the following years (even after they stopped giving you guiness!!)

[fee-is-me]

I agree, too.

I have been carrying a donor card since i was 18 and have always felt VERY strongly about it.

My problem is with my husband. He hates that i carry a card. He does not agree with transplants of any kind.

I find it quite a difficult position to be in, to be honest.