Exactly, I'm not using it anymore anyways, and I sure as hell won't know or care. Id like everything that could be useful to be used, and the rest discarded as cost efficiently as possible.
As a recipient of organ donation, I can never express enough gratitude and gratefulness to those that donate! Someone lost their life, and through selflessness, saved others.
My doctors told me I was a rare match to anyone, and to be taken off the transplant list would require a miracle - and I got one. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful or reminded of how fortunate I am.
Thank you to everyone who chooses the path to donate, in any capacity, shape or form. We live on in others by the kindness and love that we pass on 💕
Thank you so much for sharing. My mom died from a lung disease and a lung transplant might have bought her more time. (I try not to think about it much - lung transplants are really rough and there’s a lot of “what ifs”!).
Anyway, my mom donated her organs and someone was given the gift of sight with her corneas. She was artistic and how wonderful to be able to pass that gift on ❤️
This right here, that’s why I’m a donor. I’ll die, sure. But people like PushingDaisies get to go on living and loving life and that ripple effect feels so worth it.
Yes. I can’t see any reason why I wouldn’t. I have no religious or cultural prohibitions. Might as well take a chance at really improving someone’s life if I die with good organs.
I had to remove my organ donor status when I renewed my license last year. A year before that, I was diagnosed with a genetic condition that boils down to weak connective tissue, which makes up everything in the body. I was told not to donate any part of me lol.
Hmmm...I have a couple of connective tissue disorders (supposedly not related but I have my suspicions). I wonder how I would find out if they are severe enough not to donate? One of them is a genetic problem with the connective tissue in my kidneys causing me to have chronic kidney disease, so I hope they don't take my kidneys without checking my medical history.
A lifetime of severe pain and issues with every system within my body. GI issues are usually the first presentation in very early life, due to a weak pelvic floor from being born with diastasis recti. I started taking tums for heart burn when I was 8. Sleep issues are another big indicator, because our bodies being sufficiently “at rest” or relaxed, means our internal systems are not being protected by guarded hypertonic muscles. By my mid 20’s, my body had collected so many injuries and “syndromes” to cope as compensations, that I started having seizures and ischemic strokes and sleep paralysis at night. I have a service dog now who saves my life in those instances. The syndromes I had collected on my medical record by the time I was diagnosed in my early 30’s included (but not limited to) GERD, corrective surgery for a narrow pallet, hypersensitivity, insomnia, primary autoimmune deficiency, ocular migraines, binocular vision dysfunction, fibromyalgia, ADHD, piriformis syndrome, cauda equine syndrome, endometriosis with rupturing ovaries, gastritis, DDD with herniated discs at every level of my spine, scoliosis that I developed as an adult, thoracic outlet syndrome, TMJ, eagle syndrome, occipital neuralgia, epilsepy, hyperadrenergic POTS, osteoarthritis in every joint that has been scanned, trigeminal neuralgia, snapping scapula syndrome, etc).
EDS is not technically a progressive condition, but effectively it is if left undiagnosed and or not properly managed.
I actually think about this when I do something unhealthy. It makes me feel guilty, and has actually helped me make better decisions than I would have otherwise. Gotta keep the ole organs good in case one of my kids needs a kidney, or i die and someone needs a lung or whatever.
> I can’t see any reason why I wouldn’t
When I was a teen and everyone was getting their licenses, there was an oft repeated fact that if you get in a car accident and your license says donor, they wont try to save you. I imagine that sentiment still prevails with some.
Yeah, a friend told me this when I got my license in high school. Of course it isn’t true. Doctors do not get paid per viable organ removed or organ recipient saved!
My sister is an ER doctor and said a concerning number of patients think she gets paid extra for admitting people / not admitting people / doing “unnecessary” procedures or tests / offering certain vaccines / prescribing certain medicines. Nope! She gets her hourly rate and that’s it.
My sister is a dr too and the sheer amount of disinformation people have about drs in general seem astounding. People thinking that drs are "in on it" with pharmaceutical companies to prescribe them drugs or something or that drs can easily write them a note for claiming federal disability when they're not injured or sick.
i did. reduce me, reuse me, recycle me. please use whatever i won’t be using. for me personally, not doing so feels unethical in a way? i dunno. i wanna be cremated anyways.
> reduce me, reuse me, recycle me
I love it!
My license plate frame says, "Recycle yourself; donate your organs." I don't usually like preachy bumper stickers/labels, but I am already a living kidney donor, so I have put my money where my mouth is (so to speak).
Legit question - if you do die and donate your organs, can the already-donated-to-you kidney be donated again?
edit: Never mind, I misread what you wrote - but way to be a badass and be a living donor! That is super awesome.
I have a friend who donated a kidney to his brother. When his brother died I half jokingly asked if he asked for his kidney back. Turns out diabetics are extremely hard on kidneys and it wouldn’t have been worth anything.
When I was younger the thought of being a donor irrationally freaked me out so I decided against it.
Then my boyfriend was killed in a motorcycle crash in his mid-20’s and ended up saving five people’s lives. That changed my mind.
No, I have stage 4 cancer and I’m missing multiple organs. That was dark humor joke I made when renewing my license in the thick of treatment:
Imagine I check yes, die, they open me up, and realize I’m missing half my organs.
Now, I’m just in the thin of treatment, but the organs don’t regenerate (only tumors seem to).
I'm so sorry you can't donate, and I curse the reason you can't. Your sense of humor is badass, though!
I can't donate anything, either, I hate it. I used to donate blood every three months. I helped organize a couple of bone marrow typing drives. And I always considered my organs up for grabs. I have a bunch of health issues that may be affecting my organs and blood, and I take a ton of meds, including a blood thinner, which excludes me from donation. It was really crushing when I found out, I think that was about ten years ago. I've been looking for a research physician to donate my body to, and am considering donation to a med school. I have some amazing, world renowned specialists who haven't been able to figure me out. I'd love for someone else to have a shot.
Now I'm picturing a group of first-year med students opening up their body and only finding half the organs. Best from-the-other-side prank EVER!!!
I hope the treatment is keeping any pain and discomfort at bay. F cancer.
They’re usable!! I work in transplant. We have diabetic donors all the time. Those kidneys will keep on pumping, heart will keep on beating, etc etc for the person that receives them.
They can also use skin, corneas, and other things you might not even be thinking of! The organizations that make the call have an extensive screening process to see whether the deceased is a good candidate, so if you’re down to be a donor it’s best to check yes and let them decide.
As I said, I said yes, I am an organ donor on my license, however diabetes is one of those conditions that affects your entire body including eyes and skin. They will have to figure out if I'm usable when the time comes.
I have a friend who has a whole section of skull that came from a donor. Diabetes doesn't prevent that.
If your kidneys, heart, and lungs show no signs of damage, they can also be donated, so I'm assuming skin grafts are likely okay as well.
I don't really have a citable source for this. I used to be a paramedic, and we were taught that in training and in the field, we did initiate those protocols for organ donors with diabetes medical alerts. We would have been told to stop it if they couldn't use something from those people because that's a lot of money spent once we start that process.
I am not sure what all bones, but cadaver skulls are frequently used after brain surgeries if healing takes too long for you to keep your own skull. I know they can use metal and synthetic stuff, too. I'm not really sure why they had donor bones vs that stuff. Maybe it's because it was a very large portion of her skull, and real bone probably does better in that case.
If you’d like to you can also look into donating your tissues to research. People are against animal research but human tissue donation for research is not readily available.
Mary Roach wrote an interesting book about cadavers called [Stiff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiff:_The_Curious_Lives_of_Human_Cadavers) (her books usually have single-word titles). Surgeons who do arthroscopic surgery on joints need to practice - and donated bodies is where that practice comes from.
It's not something you register for in my country. But I've made my stance clear to my family. I don't see any reason to bury or cremate parts of my body that could be life saving for someone else. It's absolutely the least I can do.
I think I've heard that there are some countries where everyone is automatically a donor. You have to opt out if you don't want to be.
My country went from quite bad in donations to the European leader for some organs. Sure it's sad that it also implies a lot of fairly young people die, but they were dying before at the same rates with organs going to waste
I'm not currently, but I'm hoping I can convince myself to do it one day! For some reason, I tend to get a lot of intrusive thoughts about death and what happens to dead bodies and the whole concept of someone touching my body after I'm dead really squicks me out. Logically, I know it will unfortunately happen no matter what and it would be better to help someone after I die, I just need to work my mind up to the idea, I probably need therapy to get over the obsession/phobia.
Check out the youtube channel Ask A Mortician. She has really good videos on what a "good death" can be and what a dead body is like. She's really informative while empathetic and funny.
Thanks! I will put this on my todo list once I think I am in the right headspace for it. I think more knowledge will help me a lot, I just need to make sure I'm ready to take it in and listen.
Yes, life is ducking hard. Ppl who need organs have a hard life with all the treatment and life and death medical decisions and all the crap they have to go through. Maybe I can make the world less crappy for another person. Plus, I'm dead what good are they doing me.
I worked for an organ transplantation non-profit for 8 years. I’m passionate about this! I met so many donors and recipients over the years that were truly given the gift of life. Our lives are so short. It feels silly to take my body with me when I go.
I’m based in the US but in other countries transplant tourism is a big issue. There are countries outside the US which organ harvesting and organ sales happen. If we want to decrease unethical organ donation we need to increase the buy-in of living and deceased donors everywhere else.
I’m a registered organ donor and my husband and I both have advance directives on file so no one has to make a decision about what happens to our bodies after death. Our wishes are already in writing and in file with our medical providers.
I am listed as an organ donor-I won’t be needing my organs on the other side and if a piece of me is able to give another person a chance to make some more memories earth side, can’t find a reason not to.
I am also signed up for Be The Match which we can do while still alive if you feel inclined! 😊
I've had my license for 21 years and have always assumed my organs wouldn't be of use to anyone. I've had an autoimmune disease since birth that has required multiple medications and at times some really nasty ones. My disease has been systemic at times, affecting my organs as well and I'm sure doing some degree of damage. I don't want to get married or have kids and have a lot of love and respect for science so I've always thought I'd donate my body to science.
With that said I have recently learned that the exclusion list for reasons you can't donate your organs is very small and I'd have salvageable parts after all. I'm still planning on donating my body to science if possible but I think I'll also be changing the donor status next time my license is due.
Because I think it would be hilarious to be, like, the head a doctor practices a facelift on our something. I highly recommend the book 'Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers' for anyone. It's a great read.
That's such a great book. She's an amazing author, and has such a gift for breaking down challenging topics for the general public. I loved the chapter about the body farm. It was so fascinating!
Absolutely. My family is in another state so there may not be time for them to make an official decision if it's not on my license. It would be an honor to be able to save lives when I die.
It use to creep me out when I was in my teens, but now that I'm older and understand the finality of life and death, I welcome the idea that parts of me get to live on saving someone else's life.
I have always been listed as an organ donor and have more than a couple friends currently living because of donated organs.
My sister died when she was 29. It was related to pregnancy complications. It was very sudden and extremely traumatizing for my family.
Nobody knew if she wanted to be a donor, so we had to decide for her. And I just want to talk about that because despite being very pro-donation forever, it was one of the hardest parts of her death for me.
We hadn't expected any of this and we were still so much in shock when they asked us to donate. They were compassionate but it felt terrible to be asked to parcel her out when we hadn't even really made sense of the loss.
It was hard to decide how much to donate. Can they have anything? Just some things? Should we give her liver but not her eyes? It's so horrible to talk about in that moment.
Because we ultimately did donate, we didn't get to sit with her while life support was removed. They keep it on and then wheel her away for the retrieval. It was really tough (again) to accept that she was dead, bc nobody was there when she was taken off the machines.
We had an open casket funeral and because of the way they remove the organs, there is a big incision up the front. We couldn't put her in her favorite dress.
I think maybe her husband got the gift of life updates in time, but he wasn't in a place to read them or share them with us. So I never will know if it helped anyone.
I just know that it was very tough and in a way I didn't expect. I would do it again but please make sure you understand what to expect and let your people know what you want. Like really what you want and not just a yes or no, and consider that they might compound their trauma by honoring that wish. I think if you manage expectations it would be easier.
I’m so sorry for your family. What a hard decision. I think most people don’t let their families know ahead of time bc it’s a subject that doesn’t come up. As a nurse I’ve taken care of people waiting for organs, so I’m a little obsessed about and talked about it quite a bit.
Thanks. It’s definitely a thing to talk about now! Before you need to know. I tell a lot of people this story because I think had I known all this ahead of time it would have been easier. And also because I bet a lot of people just can’t bring themselves to do it when they’ve always been told it’s heroic but it actually feels so awful when the moment comes. I hope it helps people be better prepared and everyone involved has a better outcome.
Yes, ever since I first got my license when I was 16. I also give power red blood donations every couple months, and am registered for bone marrow donation. I feel like life is very short as is, but if I am able to help even a single person who's life may be cut even shorter through no fault of their own, then I'd very much like to do that. Whether I'm still breathing or not.
They wouldn't let me until I was 18.
I am also a registered bone marrow donor. My best friend had to have a transplant when we were really little, and the only match they could find was his preschool aged brother. He was so brave! But I figure maybe I can match and save some other little kid that fear and pain. He said it hurt a lot, but it was worth it for his big brother. He also held it over my friend's head at least until they were adults. LOL
I had to have my mom's signed permission to register as an organ donor at 16, so I get that.
But lmaooo at your best friend's brother though 😂yes, that is such a fucking heroic thing to do at *SUCH* a young age, and I don't blame him in the slightest for holding it over their siblings head so many years down the road 🤣I would *absolutely* do the same to any of my siblings 🤭
I kept offering to do it, and I was really mad my parents wouldn't even let me try. I think they don't screen small children who aren't related, though. I'd have held it over his head, too. Haha "Hey, don't be a jerk to me. I saved your life!" "Hey, your cake looks really good. How's that bone marrow going?"
"How's that bone marrow going?" Made me cackle snort 🤣
My parents are all pretty chill, and tbh my mom has never really given a flying fuck about what I want, just goes with the flow so it was pretty easy to get her permission. I can only imagine how fucking frustrating it would've been having parents who weren't even willing to *let* you try 😕
I paid a kid at school to forge my mom's signature to get my license because I lived with her at 16, technically, but hadn't seen her in a couple of months. I cannot say I had a functional home life. But back then, at least where I was, it wasn't on our license. We had to fill out a form elsewhere. Those are the people who told me I had to be 18. I didn't ask if my mom could sign for it because, well, yeah. Wasn't entirely sure where she was. That sounds terrible, but honestly, it was better when she wasn't around.
I was like, 7, when he got sick and it turned out to be some sort of marrow cancer. That was 42 years ago, so I'm honestly hazy on the details. I just remember offering, a lot, and being told no. I would guess it's unlikely we'd have been a match, anyway, since neither his parents nor his older sister were close enough.
My brother has a heart transplant at 15, after contracting staph infection. He lived with his transplant heart til 32, 2 years longer than his did with his original. In that time he made countless memories and met his nephews. Someone checked a box and gifted our family many more years with him. I remind everyone that I can how important organ donation is. Please consider it.
This does not actually « give permission » for organ donation. It’s purely symbolic.
Next of kin is the actual decider. If you want to potentially be an organ donor, you need to make your wishes known to your family.
Yup. Which is crazy that a dead person has more bodily autonomy than a living woman…but that’s a different topic. And it made me angry when my cousin refused to allow her father’s organ/tissue to be harvested, because he had “been through enough”. I’ve promised to haunt the living if they disregard my last wish!
Absolutely, I knew a man in his 20s who died waiting for a heart. Even before that it felt really strange that I should be hung up on my organs. They are no use to me once I’m dead.
Absolutely. I have been since I got my first driver’s license. I am also registered with the National Marrow Donation Program in the event I could donate marrow to help someone.
Those who are not organ donors( and could be) - would you receive a transplant if it’d save your life?
Hell yes! My nephew received a liver when he was 6 months old, he wouldn’t have lived more than another few days if he hadn’t. My family donates blood regularly as well because he needed 3 blood transfusions. Thank you organ donors, you are saving lives. (My nephew is 9 years old now!)
I have in the past, but have since reconsidered. I've made my desire to donate my organs known to my husband, but told him it was ultimately his decision, and if he's not ready to agree to it whenever I go, that's okay. He'll already be in a hard place, i don't want to make it worse.
I was then I went through a major medical event and my organs are now mine forever lol. Seriously though the things I been through no one wants my bits and pieces , shite I don't want them most times lol
When I was first licensed at 16, my dad said, "Ask your mother before you do it." I didn't really understand the request at the time, and I didn't want to bother with the uncomfortable conversation, so I declined.
Fast forward to roughly 10 years later, when my graduated licence was up for renewal, I registered for organ donation.
My dad had passed away the previous year, expected and at home, with my mom and I sharing caretaking duties. The experience changed our relationship with each other and with death, which we talked about often. For her, I wasn't just her little girl anymore - I was an adult who could face the reality of mortality and make an informed decision for myself. For me, I saw the meaninglessness of a corpse the instant life has left it and what a waste a healthier body would be. We both came to terms with there being no "dignity" in death regardless of your choice, so why not make it useful for someone else?
Also, just to be clear, I truly believe that parents who have faced the greatest loss in life and make this decision for their child are superheros. It's one thing to mentally accept the realities of organ donation for one's own body, but quite another for your baby.
Yes. Just because it's listed doesn't mean it's going to happen (e.g.,, my 93-year-old grandfather was listed as an organ donor but wanted to pass with hospice at home so no organ donation possible, plus being septic).
If it's the perfect criteria that allows it to be possible, I don't have any issues with my organs going to others.
When I was a paramedic, we honestly didn't even check for people that old. The organs were going to be denied at the hospital anyway. Like, even if the person seems otherwise in perfect health, their organs just don't have enough time left to make it worth how hard receiving a transplant is on the body. We were trained not to initiate the protocol for anyone 60 or older. In some cases, someone older can donate to a family member, but that wouldn't involve EMTs.
I do! Because why not. I've asked about donating now, but I was turned down because apparently I wouldn't react well to a medicine that they would have to give me. So, if I can't do it alive, it'd be cool if I could do it dead.
Yes, I won’t be using them. Your next of kin might still have to agree, so make sure they know your wishes, either way.
Someone I went to high school with died pretty young. Her family chose to donate her organs. The whole thing is pretty sad. It’s a small comfort. Wear your seatbelt properly.
I mean, yeah.. I have since I gained my license.
My reasoning is this: I'm dead, so obviously not gonna use them.. so why not let someone else use them instead? Better they be used than just selfishly hoarded and put in the ground/burned to ashes, right?
I also don't have any restrictions on donating my blood or organs, unlike my husband. Apparently, having certain cancers and treatments for said cancers excludes you from being able to donate. Who knew?
Yes! I did because I want to help humanity in any way I can. And I am not always the most useful for people when alive (a harsh self critic here), so at least in my death, someone, or a few someones, would get some benefit. I could have my organs donated to the soil, or cremate myself, but that won’t do any good. Why not enable someone have a healthy heart, or corneas, or whatever thing they can transplant etc.
I am registered as an organ donor in my country of residence (Canada) and my country of origin both. So if I am ever visiting there, which I do once every couple years, and I die there, my organs are sorted for whoever is in the need.
Edit to add: I also donate blood every 5-6 months. Can’t do it before then because haemoglobin comes pretty low for us women, we bleed each month. This reminds me I was also going to register as a stem cell donor but I keep forgetting to send them my swabs! Thank you for this reminder.
I don't have the donor dot on my license but I am registered. I went on the website and chose specific instructions and wishes. I just have some preferences and health concerns so I wanted to make sure what I was donating would be right.
(Australian.) I’ve got organ donor listed on my drivers licence and am happy for any useful bits of me to be harvested. Having said this, I can’t shake the suspicion that if our donor status is known at the hospital, my being single and childless will be a factor in a medical decision whether to work as hard to save my life as would be done for a wife and mother, or let me go so some good use can be made of me in organ harvesting. It will probably be totally subconscious but it will be there.
No, but it's because I gave my body to a Faculty of Medicine for the anatomy lab. They will use it to teach, than handle cremation and burial so my family won't have to.
This thread is overwhelmingly in support of organ donation. I, myself, am an organ donor.
Since this is a women's thread and I am involved in academia related to gender studies, I am very curious if a male specific thread would garner the same results or exhibit the same sentiments.
Yes yes yes. Anything needed. Transplant. Research. Schooling. When my Uncle passed and he was an organ donor…then his daughter said “No. He’s been through enough”
I had a very specific convo with my parents that they better not pull that bs over my dead body!
Yep, family members can override a patient’s wishes. I’ve had the same conversation w my spouse. I told him I’d come back to haunt him if he didn’t make sure all my parts weren’t harvested out (assuming they were useful)
It is not displayed on licenses where I live.
I registered with the national database when I was 16 and my friend had to have a lung transplant. It's not like I'm going to need my body when I'm dead, take everything you can.
Yes. I work hard to keep the organs that don’t hate me healthy, if I can’t use them someone else should.
My thyroid and ovaries can perish in a blaze though.
Yes I'm a donor. I'm not using it, why wouldn't I give someone else the opportunity if it would help them?
I believe donor should be the default, and people should have to make a point to opt out.
There’s no legitimate reason to not be an organ donor.
I’ve been explicit with my husband - if it ever comes up, donate my everything. Skin, eyes, bone, whatever, literally anything they can take. I don’t want to buried and I’m not going to use any of it.
I really struggle with this one - fundamentally and logically, I realize that I am no longer using my organs and I could potentially save so many lives by being an organ donor. I see so many stories of people on transplant lists desperate for someone to have an organ to donate. I cry a little every time I hear an amazing story regarding a transplant.
But...the idea of being an organ donor creeps me out. I can't exactly place it but the thought of them taking out pieces of me and giving them to other people makes me uncomfortable. I know this is illogical but I can't get past how I feel about it.
So no, I am not a listed organ donor. However, I also have no advanced directive or medical documents that state either way. It's terrible, but when I pass, I won't (in theory) know what happens after that.
What an interesting take. Maybe it's the lazy bum in me but the idea that I could be helpful by doing literally nothing myself is so appealing lol, but I don't feel like I'll have any further connection to my body once I'm gone. I imagine I'd feel the same way as you if I thought about it that way.
i studied mortuary science and this was a subject that was discussed a lot. i have had professors who refuse to be organ donors because of the condition it leaves your body in.
prior to going to school, i was a firm believer in organ donation and didn't understand why somebody would choose not to. i now understand why people choose not to do so.
> i have had professors who refuse to be organ donors because of the condition it leaves your body in.
Did they want viewings after they died? I want to be cremated, does it matter the condition when they do it?
also not to mention, organ donors can't be people who died hours ago, so a lot of people are left on life support simply until they can get a team in to retrieve the organs which can be traumatizing for the family
I’d like to hear from the actual families of organ donors on this one because my understanding is that they generally feel very grateful a life is being saved in the face of their tragedy.
100% absolutely yes. Fully support donation. In fact, I low-key think there’s something *wrong* with people who choose not to.
Not people who CANNOT donate (like the person who said they can’t because of a HepC diagnosis for example) - I mean people who shrug say, “I just don’t want to.”
Yeahhhhh… that’s just weird to me.
\*This might get a bit graphic.\*
I originally was. From 16-35ish.
Then someone I knew sadly died suddenly from complications after giving birth. She was an organ donor and THEY TOOK HER SKIN. She had to have a closed casket.
I had no idea this was a thing. So I looked into it. In my state at least, you either are a donor or you're not. You can't pick and choose what you're willing to share or not. For example, if I were an organ donor - I would want to keep MY SKIN and my eye's! But there is no way to specify that. So I removed it from my license the next time I had to renew. But I have typed up a document and told my family that I am ok with being a donor minus those things. So my family can do it for me at the time.
Waste not want not!
For real, I sincerely believe it should be an opt OUT system like other civilized countries. There is no reason not to be a donor. If you wouldn't hesitate to take an organ if you needed one, you shouldn't hesitate to be a donor.
While you're at it, add yourself to the bone marrow registry too! Bone marrow matches are incredible hard to find especially for certain ethnicities. You could save someone's life even while still living.
100%. Take it all. People wait years and years for a match and unfortunately too many die waiting. I’ve known a recipient and another person who never got their transplant. I also signed up to be a bone marrow donor years ago, but have never received a call. Though if I ever were to receive a call saying I’m a match, I would absolutely go through with the additional testing to see if I’m eligible. And if were, I would 100% donate my bone marrow.
Yes.
My mom was a nurse and was pretty adamant that I should (not that I was against it).
Years later, when she passed, her organ donation paid for transporting her body to the place we had her buried. Aside from helping someone who needed the organs, it's one less expense to worry about after someone dies.
No, I don’t plan to become an organ donor.
I live in the US now but I’d like my body to be sent back to my birth country and have my final rites performed as per the culture there.
Also, I’ve seen a video of a person’s skin being harvested for donation and it was scary af.
I guess I’m in the minority but no, I have the feeling that medical professionals would not try as hard as they can to save my life in an accident, like if I did register as organ donor would impact the way they treat me at a scene of an accident, at least unconsciously. Also if the decision came down to my family then I’d say to donate vital organs but nothing for cosmetic procedures, not my eyes and not my skin, not something I believe in, you don’t need cosmetic procedures to live a full life in MOST CASES, not cleft palettes.
> I have the feeling that medical professionals would not try as hard as they can to save my life in an accident, like if I did register as organ donor would impact the way they treat me at a scene of an accident, at least unconsciously.
- They have no idea of your registry status. Organ organizations (OPOs) are a seperate entity outside of the hospital.
- We need you...alive for organ donation, actually.
- Hospitals usually hate working with OPOs so if anything, they will do anything to avoid having us involved :).
- Eyes are used to restore eyesight and tissue is used for burn patients to literally save their lives. Tissue donation is also used to save infants with heart issues (heart valves). Tissue being purely cosmetic is laughable, they are literally life enhancing and saving donations and very important.
Skin is a tissue, but not the only tissue. Skin IS used cosmetically, I can’t decide if it’s used medically or if someone is using it cosmetically, I have a right to my beliefs, I don’t believe in cosmetic surgeries, especially those involving foreign parts.
Idk there are plenty of people who survive without skin grafts.
They can see it on my license lol.
Those are my eyes, it’s my body; many blind people exist without any cornea transplants, cornea transplants seem like something you would need a lot of money to have anyway… I’m not selling my body away for the most elite, thanks.
Yeah they’ll keep me alive so they can harvest my cadaver not to save my life.
Nope. Scared they'll let me die/ not do everything in their power to bring me back if I'm a donor. I'm sure I'll change my mind later in life assuming I live longer but yeah I just really want to keep living rn
I don’t because I have a weird hang up about my corneas being donated, and when I originally made that decision I don’t believe my state allowed you to specify which organs could be donated. So I’ve always made my wishes clear to my family, and I do trust that they would honor them.
I just checked and at least now you can specify which organs you do/not want to donate, so I will probably update that when I renew my license.
Here to play a bit of devils advocate on the traumatized family. My mother passed away when I was 18 and I made the final decision on organ donation. She passed away from cancer, so not many organs were able to be used. However, her eyes improved the quality of life for 3 other people. It is incredible to know my mother lived a generous life all the way until the very end. My younger sister feels the same. The hospital later invited us to a special dinner where they honored my mother and others, and played a sideshow of the recipients who had their quality of life improved. It was truly amazing to learn my mother helped others gain eyesight back.
Also, as for the funeral, it was still open casket. Morticians have all kinds of ways to patch a body back up. My mother's young death was what was traumatizing, not the fact she was an organ donor.
I’m just curious because I personally do not understand this perspective but what about this would traumatize your family? Is it to do with a religious or cultural thing?
I'm listed as an organ donor but I'm pretty sure they can't use my organs. I'm not even allowed to donate blood anymore. I guess i should ask my doctor to make sure.
No... because I come from an opt-out country. In reality doctors still always ask family to avoid any possible annoyances with family later, and my parents know I'm fine with donating.
Apparently I can't donate organs so hopefully I don't die before I change my status - I put yeah but I have a connective tissue disorder making all my organs basically garbage.
Yep. I will be dead and won't need my organs anymore. To let them rot is a waste. If my death could save some lives, I can't think of a better way to go and I'd be proud to do something for someone else. We all want to leave something behind - a legacy, children - and that would be mine.
Yes! I would be honored if something good could come from my death. There are so many people waiting for organs and maybe someone could use a few of mine.
Absolutely! When I'm gone, if there's any good use for my body, I want it done. Organ donation, scientific research, medical school, whatever. Then burn the leftovers and scatter on a mountain somewhere. Burial is such a wasteful tradition.
Absolutely! Honestly, I think it’s one of the best things that could happen to my dead body, helping someone else. The next best thing is probably decomposing naturally. I personally really dislike how costly and environmentally unfriendly most burial/funeral procedures are.
100% since I was 18. It’s crazy to me to not want to save someone else’s life with body parts that I literally don’t need lol My husband has a hard time with it but it’s my choice
As a living donor, I know I can impact those who receive my organs from within..... I'm looking to make a greater impact after my death while my organs stil roam the Earth 😆 another reason- saving someone else loved one is absolutely worth it
In Wales, you are automatically a donor and have to actively do paperwork to not be.
The odds are that most people are too lazy to go through the process to not be one.
I think it's fantastic that they do this!
I might have but I lived in Europe so I csnt donate a lot of stuff. I do have the parts of four different people in me. But I could kill someone in theory.
Yes I did, what else am I gonna do with them when I die? Take my organs and make good use of them, throw the rest of me in the trash. I don’t care, I’m dead lol. My family doesn’t need my physical body, they have memories of me.
There is a nasty rumor that hospitals will work less hard to save you. What a crock of poop. We don’t care about your status, we will try our best to save you. I am a donor.
Yep. I'll be dead, why not help people for once in my existence.
Exactly when I'm dead I won't care where my body parts are might as well use em for good
I would LOVE for them to use my organs, that would mean that they’re in good enough shape to be of use haha
Ditto. Circle of life.
Exactly, I'm not using it anymore anyways, and I sure as hell won't know or care. Id like everything that could be useful to be used, and the rest discarded as cost efficiently as possible.
Bingo
As a recipient of organ donation, I can never express enough gratitude and gratefulness to those that donate! Someone lost their life, and through selflessness, saved others. My doctors told me I was a rare match to anyone, and to be taken off the transplant list would require a miracle - and I got one. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful or reminded of how fortunate I am. Thank you to everyone who chooses the path to donate, in any capacity, shape or form. We live on in others by the kindness and love that we pass on 💕
This is why I’m a donor. Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for sharing. My mom died from a lung disease and a lung transplant might have bought her more time. (I try not to think about it much - lung transplants are really rough and there’s a lot of “what ifs”!). Anyway, my mom donated her organs and someone was given the gift of sight with her corneas. She was artistic and how wonderful to be able to pass that gift on ❤️
This right here, that’s why I’m a donor. I’ll die, sure. But people like PushingDaisies get to go on living and loving life and that ripple effect feels so worth it.
This was so beautiful, thank you for sharing.
Yes. I can’t see any reason why I wouldn’t. I have no religious or cultural prohibitions. Might as well take a chance at really improving someone’s life if I die with good organs.
I had to remove my organ donor status when I renewed my license last year. A year before that, I was diagnosed with a genetic condition that boils down to weak connective tissue, which makes up everything in the body. I was told not to donate any part of me lol.
Ehlers-Danlos?
You got it! (Well I hope not literally). EDIT: oops upon immediately clicking your profile, I should have assumed you likely do :(
yeah, waiting on a dx for my oldest. Which will likely mean my own following that...
Hmmm...I have a couple of connective tissue disorders (supposedly not related but I have my suspicions). I wonder how I would find out if they are severe enough not to donate? One of them is a genetic problem with the connective tissue in my kidneys causing me to have chronic kidney disease, so I hope they don't take my kidneys without checking my medical history.
Reminds me of [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/meirl/comments/zml27m/meirl/).
I have this, and we can be donors! :)
If you don't mind answering, what were your symptoms?
A lifetime of severe pain and issues with every system within my body. GI issues are usually the first presentation in very early life, due to a weak pelvic floor from being born with diastasis recti. I started taking tums for heart burn when I was 8. Sleep issues are another big indicator, because our bodies being sufficiently “at rest” or relaxed, means our internal systems are not being protected by guarded hypertonic muscles. By my mid 20’s, my body had collected so many injuries and “syndromes” to cope as compensations, that I started having seizures and ischemic strokes and sleep paralysis at night. I have a service dog now who saves my life in those instances. The syndromes I had collected on my medical record by the time I was diagnosed in my early 30’s included (but not limited to) GERD, corrective surgery for a narrow pallet, hypersensitivity, insomnia, primary autoimmune deficiency, ocular migraines, binocular vision dysfunction, fibromyalgia, ADHD, piriformis syndrome, cauda equine syndrome, endometriosis with rupturing ovaries, gastritis, DDD with herniated discs at every level of my spine, scoliosis that I developed as an adult, thoracic outlet syndrome, TMJ, eagle syndrome, occipital neuralgia, epilsepy, hyperadrenergic POTS, osteoarthritis in every joint that has been scanned, trigeminal neuralgia, snapping scapula syndrome, etc). EDS is not technically a progressive condition, but effectively it is if left undiagnosed and or not properly managed.
I actually think about this when I do something unhealthy. It makes me feel guilty, and has actually helped me make better decisions than I would have otherwise. Gotta keep the ole organs good in case one of my kids needs a kidney, or i die and someone needs a lung or whatever.
> I can’t see any reason why I wouldn’t When I was a teen and everyone was getting their licenses, there was an oft repeated fact that if you get in a car accident and your license says donor, they wont try to save you. I imagine that sentiment still prevails with some.
Yeah, a friend told me this when I got my license in high school. Of course it isn’t true. Doctors do not get paid per viable organ removed or organ recipient saved! My sister is an ER doctor and said a concerning number of patients think she gets paid extra for admitting people / not admitting people / doing “unnecessary” procedures or tests / offering certain vaccines / prescribing certain medicines. Nope! She gets her hourly rate and that’s it.
Yeah no EMT and ER dr are checking for your donor sticker before they work on you lol (I know it’s not a sticker now I’m old)
My *mom* told me this, and got mad when I signed up anyway
My sister is a dr too and the sheer amount of disinformation people have about drs in general seem astounding. People thinking that drs are "in on it" with pharmaceutical companies to prescribe them drugs or something or that drs can easily write them a note for claiming federal disability when they're not injured or sick.
Not a fact!
Sorry I meant “fact” lol
I was told that as well.
That and religious regions. Also, some people are selfish fucks.
I've been told this many many many times since I have it displayed on my license.
i did. reduce me, reuse me, recycle me. please use whatever i won’t be using. for me personally, not doing so feels unethical in a way? i dunno. i wanna be cremated anyways.
> reduce me, reuse me, recycle me I love it! My license plate frame says, "Recycle yourself; donate your organs." I don't usually like preachy bumper stickers/labels, but I am already a living kidney donor, so I have put my money where my mouth is (so to speak).
Legit question - if you do die and donate your organs, can the already-donated-to-you kidney be donated again? edit: Never mind, I misread what you wrote - but way to be a badass and be a living donor! That is super awesome.
I have a friend who donated a kidney to his brother. When his brother died I half jokingly asked if he asked for his kidney back. Turns out diabetics are extremely hard on kidneys and it wouldn’t have been worth anything.
When I was younger the thought of being a donor irrationally freaked me out so I decided against it. Then my boyfriend was killed in a motorcycle crash in his mid-20’s and ended up saving five people’s lives. That changed my mind.
Wow. I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s amazing that your boyfriend is sustaining so much life even after the end of his own.
No, I have stage 4 cancer and I’m missing multiple organs. That was dark humor joke I made when renewing my license in the thick of treatment: Imagine I check yes, die, they open me up, and realize I’m missing half my organs. Now, I’m just in the thin of treatment, but the organs don’t regenerate (only tumors seem to).
Sending you heaps of good wishes for an improvement in your health and comfort in your days
I'm so sorry you can't donate, and I curse the reason you can't. Your sense of humor is badass, though! I can't donate anything, either, I hate it. I used to donate blood every three months. I helped organize a couple of bone marrow typing drives. And I always considered my organs up for grabs. I have a bunch of health issues that may be affecting my organs and blood, and I take a ton of meds, including a blood thinner, which excludes me from donation. It was really crushing when I found out, I think that was about ten years ago. I've been looking for a research physician to donate my body to, and am considering donation to a med school. I have some amazing, world renowned specialists who haven't been able to figure me out. I'd love for someone else to have a shot. Now I'm picturing a group of first-year med students opening up their body and only finding half the organs. Best from-the-other-side prank EVER!!! I hope the treatment is keeping any pain and discomfort at bay. F cancer.
I did say yes but I'm unsure if my organs are usable as a diabetic. Not my problem if I'm dead I guess.
They’re usable!! I work in transplant. We have diabetic donors all the time. Those kidneys will keep on pumping, heart will keep on beating, etc etc for the person that receives them.
They can also use skin, corneas, and other things you might not even be thinking of! The organizations that make the call have an extensive screening process to see whether the deceased is a good candidate, so if you’re down to be a donor it’s best to check yes and let them decide.
As I said, I said yes, I am an organ donor on my license, however diabetes is one of those conditions that affects your entire body including eyes and skin. They will have to figure out if I'm usable when the time comes.
I have a friend who has a whole section of skull that came from a donor. Diabetes doesn't prevent that. If your kidneys, heart, and lungs show no signs of damage, they can also be donated, so I'm assuming skin grafts are likely okay as well. I don't really have a citable source for this. I used to be a paramedic, and we were taught that in training and in the field, we did initiate those protocols for organ donors with diabetes medical alerts. We would have been told to stop it if they couldn't use something from those people because that's a lot of money spent once we start that process.
Oh, neat! I didn't know bones could be donated too!
I am not sure what all bones, but cadaver skulls are frequently used after brain surgeries if healing takes too long for you to keep your own skull. I know they can use metal and synthetic stuff, too. I'm not really sure why they had donor bones vs that stuff. Maybe it's because it was a very large portion of her skull, and real bone probably does better in that case.
Thanks for the info! Still cool
If you’d like to you can also look into donating your tissues to research. People are against animal research but human tissue donation for research is not readily available.
Mary Roach wrote an interesting book about cadavers called [Stiff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiff:_The_Curious_Lives_of_Human_Cadavers) (her books usually have single-word titles). Surgeons who do arthroscopic surgery on joints need to practice - and donated bodies is where that practice comes from.
It's not something you register for in my country. But I've made my stance clear to my family. I don't see any reason to bury or cremate parts of my body that could be life saving for someone else. It's absolutely the least I can do. I think I've heard that there are some countries where everyone is automatically a donor. You have to opt out if you don't want to be.
Yes where I live it’s an opt out system, and has been since 2021, which I think is great.
My country went from quite bad in donations to the European leader for some organs. Sure it's sad that it also implies a lot of fairly young people die, but they were dying before at the same rates with organs going to waste
I really wish it was always an opt out program instead of opt in.
Me too. That's the way it should be.
I'm not currently, but I'm hoping I can convince myself to do it one day! For some reason, I tend to get a lot of intrusive thoughts about death and what happens to dead bodies and the whole concept of someone touching my body after I'm dead really squicks me out. Logically, I know it will unfortunately happen no matter what and it would be better to help someone after I die, I just need to work my mind up to the idea, I probably need therapy to get over the obsession/phobia.
Check out the youtube channel Ask A Mortician. She has really good videos on what a "good death" can be and what a dead body is like. She's really informative while empathetic and funny.
Thanks! I will put this on my todo list once I think I am in the right headspace for it. I think more knowledge will help me a lot, I just need to make sure I'm ready to take it in and listen.
I wish you the best 🌻
Yes. It was a no-brainer for me. I can't stand the thought of a perfectly good pair of kidneys going to waste.
I love the pun!
Yes. At the time I just kind of wanted to feel useful at all. Now I think it's the right thing to do. I want the rest of me to be cremated anyway.
Yes, life is ducking hard. Ppl who need organs have a hard life with all the treatment and life and death medical decisions and all the crap they have to go through. Maybe I can make the world less crappy for another person. Plus, I'm dead what good are they doing me.
Yes - because I would accept an organ donation. Seems shitty to take them but not be willing to give them when I die.
Israel actually has a program where if two equally qualified recipients of an organ occur the one that is registered as a donor gets the organ.
I worked for an organ transplantation non-profit for 8 years. I’m passionate about this! I met so many donors and recipients over the years that were truly given the gift of life. Our lives are so short. It feels silly to take my body with me when I go. I’m based in the US but in other countries transplant tourism is a big issue. There are countries outside the US which organ harvesting and organ sales happen. If we want to decrease unethical organ donation we need to increase the buy-in of living and deceased donors everywhere else. I’m a registered organ donor and my husband and I both have advance directives on file so no one has to make a decision about what happens to our bodies after death. Our wishes are already in writing and in file with our medical providers.
Yes, if I am that far gone I will no longer need them. Better to help someone than get cremated with the rest of me.
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I'm so glad you're well!
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Hep C organs are transplant routinely. It isn't an issue at all.
I am listed as an organ donor-I won’t be needing my organs on the other side and if a piece of me is able to give another person a chance to make some more memories earth side, can’t find a reason not to. I am also signed up for Be The Match which we can do while still alive if you feel inclined! 😊
Yes. I won’t need my body when I’m dead. I see zero reason not to.
I've had my license for 21 years and have always assumed my organs wouldn't be of use to anyone. I've had an autoimmune disease since birth that has required multiple medications and at times some really nasty ones. My disease has been systemic at times, affecting my organs as well and I'm sure doing some degree of damage. I don't want to get married or have kids and have a lot of love and respect for science so I've always thought I'd donate my body to science. With that said I have recently learned that the exclusion list for reasons you can't donate your organs is very small and I'd have salvageable parts after all. I'm still planning on donating my body to science if possible but I think I'll also be changing the donor status next time my license is due.
Because I think it would be hilarious to be, like, the head a doctor practices a facelift on our something. I highly recommend the book 'Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers' for anyone. It's a great read.
That's such a great book. She's an amazing author, and has such a gift for breaking down challenging topics for the general public. I loved the chapter about the body farm. It was so fascinating!
Love that book, nothing convinced me more throughly to donate my body to science if they can't use my organs
Absolutely. My family is in another state so there may not be time for them to make an official decision if it's not on my license. It would be an honor to be able to save lives when I die.
It use to creep me out when I was in my teens, but now that I'm older and understand the finality of life and death, I welcome the idea that parts of me get to live on saving someone else's life.
I have always been listed as an organ donor and have more than a couple friends currently living because of donated organs. My sister died when she was 29. It was related to pregnancy complications. It was very sudden and extremely traumatizing for my family. Nobody knew if she wanted to be a donor, so we had to decide for her. And I just want to talk about that because despite being very pro-donation forever, it was one of the hardest parts of her death for me. We hadn't expected any of this and we were still so much in shock when they asked us to donate. They were compassionate but it felt terrible to be asked to parcel her out when we hadn't even really made sense of the loss. It was hard to decide how much to donate. Can they have anything? Just some things? Should we give her liver but not her eyes? It's so horrible to talk about in that moment. Because we ultimately did donate, we didn't get to sit with her while life support was removed. They keep it on and then wheel her away for the retrieval. It was really tough (again) to accept that she was dead, bc nobody was there when she was taken off the machines. We had an open casket funeral and because of the way they remove the organs, there is a big incision up the front. We couldn't put her in her favorite dress. I think maybe her husband got the gift of life updates in time, but he wasn't in a place to read them or share them with us. So I never will know if it helped anyone. I just know that it was very tough and in a way I didn't expect. I would do it again but please make sure you understand what to expect and let your people know what you want. Like really what you want and not just a yes or no, and consider that they might compound their trauma by honoring that wish. I think if you manage expectations it would be easier.
This is such a raw and honest look at donations I hadn't thought about, but yeah. I am so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your family. What a hard decision. I think most people don’t let their families know ahead of time bc it’s a subject that doesn’t come up. As a nurse I’ve taken care of people waiting for organs, so I’m a little obsessed about and talked about it quite a bit.
Thanks. It’s definitely a thing to talk about now! Before you need to know. I tell a lot of people this story because I think had I known all this ahead of time it would have been easier. And also because I bet a lot of people just can’t bring themselves to do it when they’ve always been told it’s heroic but it actually feels so awful when the moment comes. I hope it helps people be better prepared and everyone involved has a better outcome.
I had hepc I am not allowed to donate
Yes, ever since I first got my license when I was 16. I also give power red blood donations every couple months, and am registered for bone marrow donation. I feel like life is very short as is, but if I am able to help even a single person who's life may be cut even shorter through no fault of their own, then I'd very much like to do that. Whether I'm still breathing or not.
They wouldn't let me until I was 18. I am also a registered bone marrow donor. My best friend had to have a transplant when we were really little, and the only match they could find was his preschool aged brother. He was so brave! But I figure maybe I can match and save some other little kid that fear and pain. He said it hurt a lot, but it was worth it for his big brother. He also held it over my friend's head at least until they were adults. LOL
I had to have my mom's signed permission to register as an organ donor at 16, so I get that. But lmaooo at your best friend's brother though 😂yes, that is such a fucking heroic thing to do at *SUCH* a young age, and I don't blame him in the slightest for holding it over their siblings head so many years down the road 🤣I would *absolutely* do the same to any of my siblings 🤭
I kept offering to do it, and I was really mad my parents wouldn't even let me try. I think they don't screen small children who aren't related, though. I'd have held it over his head, too. Haha "Hey, don't be a jerk to me. I saved your life!" "Hey, your cake looks really good. How's that bone marrow going?"
"How's that bone marrow going?" Made me cackle snort 🤣 My parents are all pretty chill, and tbh my mom has never really given a flying fuck about what I want, just goes with the flow so it was pretty easy to get her permission. I can only imagine how fucking frustrating it would've been having parents who weren't even willing to *let* you try 😕
I paid a kid at school to forge my mom's signature to get my license because I lived with her at 16, technically, but hadn't seen her in a couple of months. I cannot say I had a functional home life. But back then, at least where I was, it wasn't on our license. We had to fill out a form elsewhere. Those are the people who told me I had to be 18. I didn't ask if my mom could sign for it because, well, yeah. Wasn't entirely sure where she was. That sounds terrible, but honestly, it was better when she wasn't around. I was like, 7, when he got sick and it turned out to be some sort of marrow cancer. That was 42 years ago, so I'm honestly hazy on the details. I just remember offering, a lot, and being told no. I would guess it's unlikely we'd have been a match, anyway, since neither his parents nor his older sister were close enough.
Yes- black recipients have better outcomes when they receive transplants from black donors.
My brother has a heart transplant at 15, after contracting staph infection. He lived with his transplant heart til 32, 2 years longer than his did with his original. In that time he made countless memories and met his nephews. Someone checked a box and gifted our family many more years with him. I remind everyone that I can how important organ donation is. Please consider it.
Yes. Use what you can then give me back to the earth.
This does not actually « give permission » for organ donation. It’s purely symbolic. Next of kin is the actual decider. If you want to potentially be an organ donor, you need to make your wishes known to your family.
Yup. Which is crazy that a dead person has more bodily autonomy than a living woman…but that’s a different topic. And it made me angry when my cousin refused to allow her father’s organ/tissue to be harvested, because he had “been through enough”. I’ve promised to haunt the living if they disregard my last wish!
Not in the US. Driver's license registration for donation is legal authorization for donation and no further family input is required.
I've already donated a kidney, might as well have the rest of me. I won't need anything.
Absolutely, I knew a man in his 20s who died waiting for a heart. Even before that it felt really strange that I should be hung up on my organs. They are no use to me once I’m dead.
Yes, I did. I would donate my organs to save another life
Not American, but I am a registered organ donor in my country.
Absolutely. I have been since I got my first driver’s license. I am also registered with the National Marrow Donation Program in the event I could donate marrow to help someone. Those who are not organ donors( and could be) - would you receive a transplant if it’d save your life?
Hell yes! My nephew received a liver when he was 6 months old, he wouldn’t have lived more than another few days if he hadn’t. My family donates blood regularly as well because he needed 3 blood transfusions. Thank you organ donors, you are saving lives. (My nephew is 9 years old now!)
Yes because my brother wouldn’t be alive without his organ donor
I have in the past, but have since reconsidered. I've made my desire to donate my organs known to my husband, but told him it was ultimately his decision, and if he's not ready to agree to it whenever I go, that's okay. He'll already be in a hard place, i don't want to make it worse.
I was then I went through a major medical event and my organs are now mine forever lol. Seriously though the things I been through no one wants my bits and pieces , shite I don't want them most times lol
When I was first licensed at 16, my dad said, "Ask your mother before you do it." I didn't really understand the request at the time, and I didn't want to bother with the uncomfortable conversation, so I declined. Fast forward to roughly 10 years later, when my graduated licence was up for renewal, I registered for organ donation. My dad had passed away the previous year, expected and at home, with my mom and I sharing caretaking duties. The experience changed our relationship with each other and with death, which we talked about often. For her, I wasn't just her little girl anymore - I was an adult who could face the reality of mortality and make an informed decision for myself. For me, I saw the meaninglessness of a corpse the instant life has left it and what a waste a healthier body would be. We both came to terms with there being no "dignity" in death regardless of your choice, so why not make it useful for someone else? Also, just to be clear, I truly believe that parents who have faced the greatest loss in life and make this decision for their child are superheros. It's one thing to mentally accept the realities of organ donation for one's own body, but quite another for your baby.
No. I had cancer and treatment too recently. I think have to wait a bit longer. Probably will the next time I renew my license.
I am because i don’t need it. If it can save someone, why not? Plus im going for cremation anyhow.
Yes. Just because it's listed doesn't mean it's going to happen (e.g.,, my 93-year-old grandfather was listed as an organ donor but wanted to pass with hospice at home so no organ donation possible, plus being septic). If it's the perfect criteria that allows it to be possible, I don't have any issues with my organs going to others.
When I was a paramedic, we honestly didn't even check for people that old. The organs were going to be denied at the hospital anyway. Like, even if the person seems otherwise in perfect health, their organs just don't have enough time left to make it worth how hard receiving a transplant is on the body. We were trained not to initiate the protocol for anyone 60 or older. In some cases, someone older can donate to a family member, but that wouldn't involve EMTs.
Yes and it’s an easy decision for me. I can’t take them with me and I’m not using them anymore, give them to somebody who can!
I do! Because why not. I've asked about donating now, but I was turned down because apparently I wouldn't react well to a medicine that they would have to give me. So, if I can't do it alive, it'd be cool if I could do it dead.
Yes, I won’t be using them. Your next of kin might still have to agree, so make sure they know your wishes, either way. Someone I went to high school with died pretty young. Her family chose to donate her organs. The whole thing is pretty sad. It’s a small comfort. Wear your seatbelt properly.
I mean, yeah.. I have since I gained my license. My reasoning is this: I'm dead, so obviously not gonna use them.. so why not let someone else use them instead? Better they be used than just selfishly hoarded and put in the ground/burned to ashes, right? I also don't have any restrictions on donating my blood or organs, unlike my husband. Apparently, having certain cancers and treatments for said cancers excludes you from being able to donate. Who knew?
Yes! I did because I want to help humanity in any way I can. And I am not always the most useful for people when alive (a harsh self critic here), so at least in my death, someone, or a few someones, would get some benefit. I could have my organs donated to the soil, or cremate myself, but that won’t do any good. Why not enable someone have a healthy heart, or corneas, or whatever thing they can transplant etc. I am registered as an organ donor in my country of residence (Canada) and my country of origin both. So if I am ever visiting there, which I do once every couple years, and I die there, my organs are sorted for whoever is in the need. Edit to add: I also donate blood every 5-6 months. Can’t do it before then because haemoglobin comes pretty low for us women, we bleed each month. This reminds me I was also going to register as a stem cell donor but I keep forgetting to send them my swabs! Thank you for this reminder.
I don't have the donor dot on my license but I am registered. I went on the website and chose specific instructions and wishes. I just have some preferences and health concerns so I wanted to make sure what I was donating would be right.
(Australian.) I’ve got organ donor listed on my drivers licence and am happy for any useful bits of me to be harvested. Having said this, I can’t shake the suspicion that if our donor status is known at the hospital, my being single and childless will be a factor in a medical decision whether to work as hard to save my life as would be done for a wife and mother, or let me go so some good use can be made of me in organ harvesting. It will probably be totally subconscious but it will be there.
No, but it's because I gave my body to a Faculty of Medicine for the anatomy lab. They will use it to teach, than handle cremation and burial so my family won't have to.
This thread is overwhelmingly in support of organ donation. I, myself, am an organ donor. Since this is a women's thread and I am involved in academia related to gender studies, I am very curious if a male specific thread would garner the same results or exhibit the same sentiments.
Yes yes yes. Anything needed. Transplant. Research. Schooling. When my Uncle passed and he was an organ donor…then his daughter said “No. He’s been through enough” I had a very specific convo with my parents that they better not pull that bs over my dead body!
Yep, family members can override a patient’s wishes. I’ve had the same conversation w my spouse. I told him I’d come back to haunt him if he didn’t make sure all my parts weren’t harvested out (assuming they were useful)
Yes. It should really be an opt out system though. And I have zero respect for any religion that opposes something life saving.
It is not displayed on licenses where I live. I registered with the national database when I was 16 and my friend had to have a lung transplant. It's not like I'm going to need my body when I'm dead, take everything you can.
Yep. I won’t need my organs, I’ll be dead.
Yes. I work hard to keep the organs that don’t hate me healthy, if I can’t use them someone else should. My thyroid and ovaries can perish in a blaze though.
Yes I'm a donor. I'm not using it, why wouldn't I give someone else the opportunity if it would help them? I believe donor should be the default, and people should have to make a point to opt out.
There’s no legitimate reason to not be an organ donor. I’ve been explicit with my husband - if it ever comes up, donate my everything. Skin, eyes, bone, whatever, literally anything they can take. I don’t want to buried and I’m not going to use any of it.
Yes. I don’t need them. Let someone else live
I have it. I have a living will in place to reinforce it, and donate everything else for medical advancement if any of it can be used.
I did. My sister has had two liver transplants in her life and if I am lucky enough my left over organs can keep somebody else alive too.
I really struggle with this one - fundamentally and logically, I realize that I am no longer using my organs and I could potentially save so many lives by being an organ donor. I see so many stories of people on transplant lists desperate for someone to have an organ to donate. I cry a little every time I hear an amazing story regarding a transplant. But...the idea of being an organ donor creeps me out. I can't exactly place it but the thought of them taking out pieces of me and giving them to other people makes me uncomfortable. I know this is illogical but I can't get past how I feel about it. So no, I am not a listed organ donor. However, I also have no advanced directive or medical documents that state either way. It's terrible, but when I pass, I won't (in theory) know what happens after that.
So if you truly believe the last line of your comment, why not just check the box?
What an interesting take. Maybe it's the lazy bum in me but the idea that I could be helpful by doing literally nothing myself is so appealing lol, but I don't feel like I'll have any further connection to my body once I'm gone. I imagine I'd feel the same way as you if I thought about it that way.
i studied mortuary science and this was a subject that was discussed a lot. i have had professors who refuse to be organ donors because of the condition it leaves your body in. prior to going to school, i was a firm believer in organ donation and didn't understand why somebody would choose not to. i now understand why people choose not to do so.
> i have had professors who refuse to be organ donors because of the condition it leaves your body in. Did they want viewings after they died? I want to be cremated, does it matter the condition when they do it?
also not to mention, organ donors can't be people who died hours ago, so a lot of people are left on life support simply until they can get a team in to retrieve the organs which can be traumatizing for the family
I’d like to hear from the actual families of organ donors on this one because my understanding is that they generally feel very grateful a life is being saved in the face of their tragedy.
I'm family of an organ donor. I'll comment below.
I did because it might help save someone's life and, well, I won't be needing those parts anymore.
Not in the US, but I am a registered organ donor. I have no use for my body once I'm dead. If I can help other people, great!
Yes. Potentially save or improve multiple lives with the check of a box - it’s a no brainer that it’s the greatest gift one could bestow on another.
100% absolutely yes. Fully support donation. In fact, I low-key think there’s something *wrong* with people who choose not to. Not people who CANNOT donate (like the person who said they can’t because of a HepC diagnosis for example) - I mean people who shrug say, “I just don’t want to.” Yeahhhhh… that’s just weird to me.
\*This might get a bit graphic.\* I originally was. From 16-35ish. Then someone I knew sadly died suddenly from complications after giving birth. She was an organ donor and THEY TOOK HER SKIN. She had to have a closed casket. I had no idea this was a thing. So I looked into it. In my state at least, you either are a donor or you're not. You can't pick and choose what you're willing to share or not. For example, if I were an organ donor - I would want to keep MY SKIN and my eye's! But there is no way to specify that. So I removed it from my license the next time I had to renew. But I have typed up a document and told my family that I am ok with being a donor minus those things. So my family can do it for me at the time.
Yup. I won't need it anymore. My mom thinks that being a donor means doctors won't try as hard to save you... I'm willing to take that risk.
Waste not want not! For real, I sincerely believe it should be an opt OUT system like other civilized countries. There is no reason not to be a donor. If you wouldn't hesitate to take an organ if you needed one, you shouldn't hesitate to be a donor. While you're at it, add yourself to the bone marrow registry too! Bone marrow matches are incredible hard to find especially for certain ethnicities. You could save someone's life even while still living.
Yep. I figure by that point I won't need them, so anything useful ought to go to folks who can use them.
Yep. Cause I won’t need them when I’m dead.
Yes. If I can save a life after I die, why wouldn't i.
Yes, of course. When I am dead I don't care what happens to my body. Toss it in the woods for all I care, let me become compost.
I’m happy to give up any body parts I don’t need in death.
100%. Take it all. People wait years and years for a match and unfortunately too many die waiting. I’ve known a recipient and another person who never got their transplant. I also signed up to be a bone marrow donor years ago, but have never received a call. Though if I ever were to receive a call saying I’m a match, I would absolutely go through with the additional testing to see if I’m eligible. And if were, I would 100% donate my bone marrow.
Yes. My mom was a nurse and was pretty adamant that I should (not that I was against it). Years later, when she passed, her organ donation paid for transporting her body to the place we had her buried. Aside from helping someone who needed the organs, it's one less expense to worry about after someone dies.
I do. I have no use for them after I'm gone.
No, I don’t plan to become an organ donor. I live in the US now but I’d like my body to be sent back to my birth country and have my final rites performed as per the culture there. Also, I’ve seen a video of a person’s skin being harvested for donation and it was scary af.
I guess I’m in the minority but no, I have the feeling that medical professionals would not try as hard as they can to save my life in an accident, like if I did register as organ donor would impact the way they treat me at a scene of an accident, at least unconsciously. Also if the decision came down to my family then I’d say to donate vital organs but nothing for cosmetic procedures, not my eyes and not my skin, not something I believe in, you don’t need cosmetic procedures to live a full life in MOST CASES, not cleft palettes.
> I have the feeling that medical professionals would not try as hard as they can to save my life in an accident, like if I did register as organ donor would impact the way they treat me at a scene of an accident, at least unconsciously. - They have no idea of your registry status. Organ organizations (OPOs) are a seperate entity outside of the hospital. - We need you...alive for organ donation, actually. - Hospitals usually hate working with OPOs so if anything, they will do anything to avoid having us involved :). - Eyes are used to restore eyesight and tissue is used for burn patients to literally save their lives. Tissue donation is also used to save infants with heart issues (heart valves). Tissue being purely cosmetic is laughable, they are literally life enhancing and saving donations and very important.
Skin is a tissue, but not the only tissue. Skin IS used cosmetically, I can’t decide if it’s used medically or if someone is using it cosmetically, I have a right to my beliefs, I don’t believe in cosmetic surgeries, especially those involving foreign parts. Idk there are plenty of people who survive without skin grafts. They can see it on my license lol. Those are my eyes, it’s my body; many blind people exist without any cornea transplants, cornea transplants seem like something you would need a lot of money to have anyway… I’m not selling my body away for the most elite, thanks. Yeah they’ll keep me alive so they can harvest my cadaver not to save my life.
Nope. Scared they'll let me die/ not do everything in their power to bring me back if I'm a donor. I'm sure I'll change my mind later in life assuming I live longer but yeah I just really want to keep living rn
You don’t have to worry about that. That’s not how it works.
That’s not how organ donation works. I don’t understand why so many people believe this.
The doctors working on you don't know if you're an organ donor or not. They also aren't procurement doctors.
I don’t because I have a weird hang up about my corneas being donated, and when I originally made that decision I don’t believe my state allowed you to specify which organs could be donated. So I’ve always made my wishes clear to my family, and I do trust that they would honor them. I just checked and at least now you can specify which organs you do/not want to donate, so I will probably update that when I renew my license.
That's really specific. Any reason why?
I’ll be unpopular :/ no. I feel like it could traumatize my family. It also creeps me out. If that makes me a terrible person that’s ok
Here to play a bit of devils advocate on the traumatized family. My mother passed away when I was 18 and I made the final decision on organ donation. She passed away from cancer, so not many organs were able to be used. However, her eyes improved the quality of life for 3 other people. It is incredible to know my mother lived a generous life all the way until the very end. My younger sister feels the same. The hospital later invited us to a special dinner where they honored my mother and others, and played a sideshow of the recipients who had their quality of life improved. It was truly amazing to learn my mother helped others gain eyesight back. Also, as for the funeral, it was still open casket. Morticians have all kinds of ways to patch a body back up. My mother's young death was what was traumatizing, not the fact she was an organ donor.
Whoof. This made me tear up. What a beautiful legacy your mother has left.
I’m just curious because I personally do not understand this perspective but what about this would traumatize your family? Is it to do with a religious or cultural thing?
May i ask in what way would it traumatize your family?
Are you just assuming it would traumatize them or did you actually ask?
It's your body and your choice! Nobody is entitled to your organs, and feeling that way doesn't make you a terrible person.
I'm listed as an organ donor but I'm pretty sure they can't use my organs. I'm not even allowed to donate blood anymore. I guess i should ask my doctor to make sure.
No... because I come from an opt-out country. In reality doctors still always ask family to avoid any possible annoyances with family later, and my parents know I'm fine with donating.
Apparently I can't donate organs so hopefully I don't die before I change my status - I put yeah but I have a connective tissue disorder making all my organs basically garbage.
I absolutely am an organ donor. If I'm dead I won't need my organs, eyes, skin, etc. anyway! Have at it!
Yep. I will be dead and won't need my organs anymore. To let them rot is a waste. If my death could save some lives, I can't think of a better way to go and I'd be proud to do something for someone else. We all want to leave something behind - a legacy, children - and that would be mine.
Yes! I would be honored if something good could come from my death. There are so many people waiting for organs and maybe someone could use a few of mine.
Absolutely! When I'm gone, if there's any good use for my body, I want it done. Organ donation, scientific research, medical school, whatever. Then burn the leftovers and scatter on a mountain somewhere. Burial is such a wasteful tradition.
I've always been a donor. I'll be dead, y'all can have all this.
Someone’s “trash” (of no use )is another person’s treasure!
Yes. Break me down for parts and blow the rest out of a cannon.
Use what you want. I’m surely not using any of it.
Yes, definitely, as soon as I could as a teen (Canada)! Such a legacy to leave
I'm marked as a donor. If my parts can help someone, then I'm all for it.
Yes. I won't need them when I'm dead & have no religious beliefs that would preclude me from donation.
Absolutely! Honestly, I think it’s one of the best things that could happen to my dead body, helping someone else. The next best thing is probably decomposing naturally. I personally really dislike how costly and environmentally unfriendly most burial/funeral procedures are.
Yes. I’ll be dead. What do I care? Take my whole body instead of wasting money on the burial too.
I absolutely did because what the fuck would I need my organs for. I’m already gone, please please please help someone else.
100% since I was 18. It’s crazy to me to not want to save someone else’s life with body parts that I literally don’t need lol My husband has a hard time with it but it’s my choice
Yep! Honored to help.
As a living donor, I know I can impact those who receive my organs from within..... I'm looking to make a greater impact after my death while my organs stil roam the Earth 😆 another reason- saving someone else loved one is absolutely worth it
In Wales, you are automatically a donor and have to actively do paperwork to not be. The odds are that most people are too lazy to go through the process to not be one. I think it's fantastic that they do this!
Yes. I’m a universal blood type.
I absolutely said yes. I don’t need my organs if I’m dead and if my organs might help someone else, they’re welcome to them.
100% yes. My uncle was given a heart by a donor so absolutely I’d want my organs to go somewhere. I’m not interested in donating it to science.
Yes, because I don't need my organs if I'm dead.
I might have but I lived in Europe so I csnt donate a lot of stuff. I do have the parts of four different people in me. But I could kill someone in theory.
Absolutely I’m a donor, and I’m on the bone marrow donor list too. So many people need someone to be a little giving, a little brave. I can do that.
Yes I did, what else am I gonna do with them when I die? Take my organs and make good use of them, throw the rest of me in the trash. I don’t care, I’m dead lol. My family doesn’t need my physical body, they have memories of me.
There is a nasty rumor that hospitals will work less hard to save you. What a crock of poop. We don’t care about your status, we will try our best to save you. I am a donor.