Dutch make everyone an organ donor

[CANTO]

If you are an organ donor make sure your family is onboard with your decision. Apparently here in Canada whichever family member is responsible for making medical decisions for you when you are incapacitated can refuse to allow the doctors to harvest your organs even if you have signed the organ donor card. To avoid litigation the hospital will defer to your family's wishes.

 

[sempel]

So I’m an organ donor, but because I spend about 1/3 of the year in a country which blacklists me from being able to donate blood in Canada (it’s a policy designed to reduce the spread of malaria), I haven’t been able contribute to our blood banks here in years. So I donate there. I was a regular donor since I was 17.

I would hope that because I can’t donate blood here that I’d still be able to receive blood should I ever need it in our hypothetical. Obviously, children would unlikely be able to consent to donate blood or organs (etc.) and should have access, if not priority access to transplants (etc.).

To me, it’s more about the philosophical or religious divide between people who say YES to donor status, or choose for any reason that’s not medically warranted to say NO to donor status. It just doesn’t sit well with me, obviously, that someone who chooses to not participate in this program, still would expect to benefit from this program.

I’d also guess that we’d dramatically increase the donor list in the province (or country) by having an opt-in/out program. How many people would change their mind on donor status if they knew they couldn’t get access to a transplant without participating?

Obviously, this remains a hypothetical - I'm not sure how you’d deal with the person who chooses to “opt-in” only after they realize their kidneys are failing...

I get it, I do. It's not really fair is the way I describe it. One shouldn't take without giving. The other side though is are you going to deny someone life if you have an organ because they aren't willing to donate? It's one thing if there two people and there's a choice but if it's just the person alone?

They have made community service mandatory for high schoolers. I think the requirements are fairly low as far as hours but still, students have to do it. I don't know why blood donation is not mandatory (unless ineligible). I think in the US you can get paid to donate so perhaps Canada should follow suit (I understand the concerns about people selling their blood but you can set limits).

 

[bazokajoe]

I have opted out and would opt out if this law came to Canada. I am going in the ground with all the same parts I had when I came into this world.

 

[CANTO]

I'm hoping that science will perfect the cloning of new organs in the relatively near future thus making organ donation irrelevant. I know the technology is being worked on, but I don't know how far along it is.

 

[trm]

I for one signed my donor card the day I could drive. I also told my family so that they're on board. What the heck am I going to need them for when I'm gone? It gives me peace of mind knowing that a life or more may be saved!

I did the same. Recycle the spare parts and help other people. I won't need them when I am gone. A friend is currently waiting/hoping for a heart transplant. A cousin of mine died because a compatible donor for a liver transplant could not be found. As a Type 2 Diabetic I cannot donate my pancreas (it doesn't produce enough insulin), but everything else is available to someone who needs it.

 

[managee]

I get it, I do. It's not really fair is the way I describe it. One shouldn't take without giving. The other side though is are you going to deny someone life if you have an organ because they aren't willing to donate? It's one thing if there two people and there's a choice but if it's just the person alone?

They have made community service mandatory for high schoolers. I think the requirements are fairly low as far as hours but still, students have to do it. I don't know why blood donation is not mandatory (unless ineligible). I think in the US you can get paid to donate so perhaps Canada should follow suit (I understand the concerns about people selling their blood but you can set limits).

“Be a donor, save a life.”

We’ve all heard it.

By choosing to not be a donor, what else have we chosen?

In any event, I’ll concede. Maybe keeping them off the list is actively cruel. Put them at the bottom of the list, or at-least behind children and donors?

Regardless, it’s not happening anytime soon, me-thinks. I remain saddened that a non-donor should ever be able to step ahead of a child or donor, in the very very rare case where tissue or an organ can actually be harvested.