Are you an Organ Donor?

[watervole]

I've carried an organ donor card most of my adult life.  As I get older, I'm not sure how many of my bits would be useful to other people, but I certainly won't need them.

If my heart/lungs/corneas/kidneys/whatever, can help someone else live a better life, then it's a very easy thing to do.

The poll will only work for people with a DW account (I may well renew my LF paid account as well, but there's reasons why I don't want to do that for a few weeks yet).

If you're only on LJ, feel free to comment in the replies.

Poll #4832 Organ Donation

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 19

View Respondents

Do you carry a donor card in your purse/wallet?

View Answers

Yes
15 (78.9%)

No
4 (21.1%)

If you wish to be a donor, have you told friends and family?

View Answers

Yes
18 (100.0%)

No
0 (0.0%)

If you're not carrying a donor card, are you likely to get one in the future?

View Answers

Yes
1 (25.0%)

No
3 (75.0%)

I know people who don't donate for various reasons - it doesn't mean you're a bad person, if you feel squeamish about someone cutting up your body after you're dead.  Nor does it make you bad, if you're scared that the life support will be turned off earlier than you might wish.  I'm okay with both of these, but that doesn't mean that everyone else is.

Comments

[lizblackdog]

Not allowed to be a donor any more. It'a almost a pity; I've got a killer immune system and perfect eyesight, I hate to think of my parts being all wasted.

[paranoidangel]

I'm counting driving licence as organ donor card, since it has a section for it. I definitely remember discussing it with my parents at the time because I don't want to donate my corneas because I'm squeamish about eyes and they thought I was strange.

[mrs_tribble]

I think my corneas won't be a lot of good, but then again a blind person would prefer to be long sighted with an astigmatism than not be able to see at all and so anyone who needs them is welcome after I die. Likewise my lungs, which are clearing out nicely since giving up smoking, and since blood tests keep showing my kidneys and liver to be healthy I suspect they'd just need my medications flushed out of them.

If my death can save lives then I'm all for it :)

[the_magician]

I registered years ago with the NHS organ donor register
http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ukt/how_to_become_a_donor/how_to_become_a_donor.jsp

And before that I ticked the box from the time I got my first driving licence in 1979, so I've been registered as an organ donor candidate for over thirty years.

If it is on the UK driving licence, then I guess that I do carry the equivalent with me.

[yalovetz]

In the UK I carried an organ donor card. In Australia my donor status is clearly marked on my Aussie driving license.

I used to carry my blood donor card in the UK too, which had my blood type on it. But I'm not allowed to donate blood in Australia due to having lived in the UK in the era of mad cow disease.

[julesjones]

I've carried a card and/or been on a register since I was 18. I don't currently have a UK donor card, but I do have my California driving licence with its dot showing that I'm a donor. I'd pick up a UK card, but I haven't actually seen one for a long time. Must remember to explicitly ask next time I'm in Boots.

I don't donate blood for the simple reason that I'm a needle phobic with low blood pressure and a mild heart murmur, and thus more trouble than I'm worth other than in dire emergency, given the likelihood of me going into physical shock if someone pulls a unit out of me. (Yes, I did go to a session, and got told to go away for this reason.)

The one time I've been asked to go in for dire emergency reasons (the local blood bank was so low that they resorted to ringing local residents and pleading), I had to explain that I was banned from giving blood in the US because of the BSE thing. :-(

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

With all my bodily ills, especially the diabetes, I am more likely to need a transplant rather than providing one but when I am dead and my body is an empty shell bits or all of me may be used as and how medicine pleases. I am of the opinion that organ donation should be something you opt out of not opt into. If it wasn't that I respect other peoples religious beliefs I would want it to be compulsory for everyone.

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

Bless you for adding that last paragraph--I know too many people who berate others for not being a donor.

I am a donor, myself, and have been matched and registered in the Bone Marrow database here in the States as well.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I think there's all too often a mindset among fans (and other people as well), where only a small set of actions and views are considered permissible. It's all too easy to start demonising people for feeling a particular way, without considering their reasons, their many other good deeds and their right to be treated with courtesy.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Mm, I've carried a card since I was 20 or so I think. Although maybe worth noting that people need to also make sure that their relatives are aware of their intention: depending on the circumstances, the card might not be immediately evident.

There's been some talk recently that people who've suffered from ME/CFS (like me) may be barred from blood donation. I guess that will also apply to at least some organs. We shall see.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

Me too with the card. The Blood Donation service keep inventing new reasons why people can't donate, so I'm not surprised they have shortages.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately we do not have such a card... only if blood is counted like a kind of an organ...then yes. With bone marrow, I am too old to register. For other organs, I would like to give anything suitable but I will have to ask what is the legal procedure here.

[esmeraldus-neo.livejournal.com]

Organs, marrow, and blood when I can. I've just learned that I am anemic, so I have to lay off the blood donation for a while.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Likewise. My iron count falls in the range where they tell me I'm not anemic, but I don't have enough iron to safely give blood.

I've been turned down twice now. (though was able to donate on another occasion)

[wingedkami.livejournal.com]

I lost my donor card when my wallet got stolen, but I ticked the box on the driving license form so there should be something on there. And my family know I want to donate (although I should probably remind them just in case).

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Yep, got both the card and the notation on my licence. Not that I'm all that sure any of me would be useful...

I'm way more scared of premature burial than being cut up, so am perfectly happy for the old bod to be used for other folk, or science, or whatever.

[raspberryfool.livejournal.com]

Well IDK really. I'm totally in favour of organ donation, but having lost a loved one I can see how distressing the thought of my corpse being carved up before someone has a chance to say 'goodbye' might be. But it's unlikely anyone will care when I pop off; if my 'bits' are useful to someone else, they're welcome to them. I can't donate blood as I'm under the weight limit.

That's organic life for you - messy!

[rockwell-666.livejournal.com]

I'm a blood donor and I'm quite willing to agree to allow my organs to be used when I no longer have a use for them.

What I will *NOT* agree to is any form of compulsion or assumption that "well, you don't need them any more, so we're *entitled* to take your organs", the State (or anything/ anyone else) has no right to make such decisions for me or anyone else, donation is a gift, it is not something that can be expected or demanded.