Ryan
August 13, 2010 / 20:03

Sorry, my comment is quite boring.

I agree 100%! I don't believe there is a good argument against it but I'm sure you will get a lot of "it's my body, i can do what i want with it".....

Digger
August 13, 2010 / 20:17

I'm waiting for the sticker to put on my health card.

(How's that for a boring comment?)

In the meantime, I have an appointment at a blood donor clinic next Thursday.

Steve
August 13, 2010 / 20:24

I agree. I'll more than likely donate mine as well, although if I drink as much as I hope to before I die nobody's going to want the things.

Seriously, there's really no good reason not to. People are always in need of donated organs and science is always in need of samples for testing. And for God's sake your dead, what are you gonna do with 'em?

Ajax Mike
August 13, 2010 / 20:33

Just a quick note to add. I'm all for organ donation, but be sure your loved ones know that if an autopsy is requested, the organs cannot be donated. We didn't realize that at the time my father passed, and all that he was able to donate were his corneas.

Lisa
August 13, 2010 / 20:53

I've got the donor card signed and occasionally annoy my mom by saying "and if the doctor's ask if they can have anything they need, you say..."

Have you signed up for bone marrow registry? google "one match" and it should show up. Very CSI-like when you swab the inside of your cheek and mail them back...

CQ
August 14, 2010 / 07:53

The donor card portion of my Ontario driver's licence changed last time around. I refused after previous agreement because there was no longer an option to separate real donation - with any personal exceptions stated - from letting immature colleges doing whatever they cared to do with my mortal parts.

CQ
August 14, 2010 / 09:29

In addition: With the population aging, instant communications, and DNA identification abilities, there is no valid reason not to allow Final Informed Decision to be granted to a person given Power of Attorney as to other decreased or dying purposes.

Maybe someone had a family of Cancer losses and doesn't want their lungs donated to a well-to-do offspring of a Tobacco excutive. Or maybe, given the strain of multiple waiting patients, a person might rather their organs be optioned first to a hometown 28 year-old parent of two, educated with school or a trade than to, say, a former convicted serial killer or even a gadabout aging actor like Larry Hagman*.

It is guaranteed that there will be, or are, multiple potential recipients separated by minor waiting time decrepancies or that are intentionally streamlined by self-entitled medical professionals fixated with personal or private agendas.

*He had successfully received a Lung Transplant which was publicly debated at the time.

CQ
August 14, 2010 / 09:31

In addition: With the population aging, instant communications, and DNA identification abilities, there is no valid reason not to allow Final Informed Decision to be granted to a person given Power of Attorney as to other decreased or dying purposes.

Maybe someone had a family of Cancer losses and doesn't want their lungs donated to a well-to-do offspring of a Tobacco executive. Or maybe, given the strain of multiple waiting patients, a person might rather their organs be optioned first to a hometown 28 year-old parent of two, educated with school or a trade than to, say, a former convicted serial killer or even a gadabout aging actor like Larry Hagman*.

It is guaranteed that there will be, or are, multiple potential recipients separated by minor waiting time decrepancies or that are intentionally streamlined by self-entitled medical professionals fixated with personal or private agendas.

*He had successfully received a Liver Transplant which was publicly debated at the time.

Ajax Mike
August 14, 2010 / 10:47

To those arguements, I say "meh." A life is a life. Everyone deserves the best medical care possible. I don't agree with people jumping the queue due to money or influence, in fact I think it's abhorrent. Fact is though, that my organs will make a difference. Staying in my body when it gets cremated helps exactly NO ONE.

As for the "immature colleges", practice makes perfect. I'd rather they be given the chance to improve. If my kidneys can't save someone's life, at least maybe they can teach someone something. People can learn from mistakes y'know. Even if an "immature" doctor in training screws up my donation, now they know what not to do.

Some good vs. no good. It's an easy decision.

The_Voice
August 14, 2010 / 11:46

In the past, I'll confess that I didn't because I worried, "what if they made a mistake and I'm not dead?"

That was a younger me. LONG before I knew that embalming would probably take care of finishing me off anyways in the event of a mistake.

Gwen Styles
August 17, 2010 / 13:46

I'm wondering if CQ is picturing immature college students dressing a cadaver up in a Hawaiian shirt and taking it to the pub for a pint à la "Weekend at Bernie's"? Seriously. I wonder how he'd feel if he found out the surgeon about to perform his ______ operation had never practiced even once before starting to slice people up for a living.

There are other things in this post and in the comments I would love to touch upon but this was the most ludicrous to me.

CQ
August 17, 2010 / 14:50

Heh, I hadn't directly thougnt of that movie; Terry Kiser (Bernie) was always a favourite character actor.

Of course medical students need some practical skills development. I just see too many ongoing real-life examples throughout the greater "acadamic sphere" to meekly accept a unnecessarily blanket All or No One donation form. So therefore - no one.

I've just been naively shit upon too often already within this Life only to simply agree to some more afterwards. No.