Donate or not

[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.