Donate or not

[Karen]

I am an organ donor - whatever they want, I figure even myopic, astigmatic eyesight is better than none at all!

[anna_66]

I am also a donor and it is noted on my drivers license. I'm going to be cremated so whatever they need they can take.

[kuhio98]

I also have it noted on my driver's license that I am an organ donor and I have a "Living Will" that states I am an organ donor and that I do not want to be kept alive on machines if I am an in a coma.

[poofy]

I want to be a doner, will put it on my license next year.. I dont care of the take the whole hull, im going to a better place..woopie..whats left is nothing to me, but might help others..

[Laura's Babies]

I am too and it is on my DL also....

Let me telll you this.. One of the saddest day we had at the hospital where Eddie is, was when a young Coast Guard guy had been hit by a car. The halls and waiting room filled with his Coast Guard friends, openly standing around crying. I think there was little hope for the young man. The morning after he was brought in, they were all called into a meeting room and we knew what they meant. These grown young men and women in uniform came out of the room bawling like babies so we knew he had died. They stay the rest of the day and we all wondered why so I asked one of them. This young man had donated his organs and his friends would not leave him unitl they were done and his body could be taken away..

On the other side of the story. There was a man and his wife there as long as we had been there, found out they had been there since Febuary. Their son got some kind of virus at the age of 14 and it attacked his heart. He had to have a heart transplant or he would die so he got a new heart.. (NOT the Coast Guards guys, this happened before that guy had his accident) But this boy is alive today because someone made that decision to donate their organs. I am sure he has had a birthday by now that he wouldn't have had without a new heart and is now 15 years old.

We would see people running throught the halls up there all the time with ice coolers with "Human Organ" written on it. There are a LOT of lives saved today due to donations like that. My one regret in my (middle) son's death is that no one asked me if I was willing to donate his organs. I thought about it after we had buried him but, I KNOW I would have felt his death improved someone elses life and been proud of that. (Back in the early 80's organ donation was not that widely talked about or important)

[emily_the_spoiled]

Having worked in a hospital and with the transplant teams, my driver's license is definitely checked for donation!! I have seen many wonderful things happen because of the generiousity of strangers.

I have also made it very clear to all my friends and family that is what I want.

[Corinna]

I have it on my license also a notirzed note in my wallet signed by 2 witnesses (my faimly) that way if family can't get there to sign there is no delay and the parts needed spoil. If you don't have a directive they can't do anything with out a family siggy. Also if any member says no it can cause problems that could up hold the harvesting. Please if we learned any thing from The Terry Savio case it's paperwork every where ,On you with a lawyer and make sure your family all knows and it has been witnessed but others that they Know.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Yep, me too. I have it noted on my driver's license, on my Living Will and Power of Attorney for Health Care and anywhere else I could write it down. I've also contacted the University of Wisconsin to donate my body, but there might not be much left after they take all the organs. I also marked any and every organ they need, they can take.

My best friend's sister died a few years ago of a brain aneuryism (sp?). The entire family was there at the time and they were asked if they wished to donate her organs. She had had a rough time of things with the aneuryism and my friend said her sister went through hell in the last few hours of her life, so they decided to not donate because they would have had to keep her body "alive" until they got all the organs, and the family didn't want her to suffer anymore than she already had. I was extremely disappointed because here was a healthy (except for the aneuryism) young 30 something who could have helped so many other lives. I could understand the family not wanting her to suffer anymore, but why make her death be in vain, why not help someone else out?

I think the keeping the body "alive" while they harvest the organs is maybe what turns a lot of people off, but it's necessary to make sure the organs are still operable. And besides, the way I look at it, once I'm dead and my spirit is gone, my body is just a shell so why waste anything that might be recycled from it?

[Edwina's Secretary]

I am a listed donor. What possible use is the stuff to me after I am gone?

[gemini9961]

In order to be an organ donor, you have to be declared brain dead by 2 doctor's. You will be on a ventilator to keep your organs functioning. If you were to die in a car accident then you will not be a organ donor. You could possibly still donate bone, skin, eyes but no organs. You will be kept alive by the ventilator on your way to the OR. They will then take your organs out, biopsy them, make sure they are suitable. When they cross clamp your heart, that's when you are cardiac dead, remember you are already brain dead at this point. In some cases they will do a rapid recovery if you cardiac die, but in these cases you will not be donating too many organs. Your family will have to go through a lot of questions and the organ procurement organization (these are the ones that procure the organs) will run a lot of tests on you and your body to make sure you are suitable. Your family may want to donate everything but once they actually get you into the OR and inspect your organs, they may decide they are not that suitable and not use them for transplant. In our area if you are a registered donor, that's good, but our organ people will still ask the family for permission. If you do indeed want to donate, you need to let your family know and make them understand how important it is to you, because ultimately it will be up to them.