I'm a donor and on the bone marrow registry. I think (just personal opinion) it's selfish not to be if you can. You're giving away what you couldn't possibly need anymore to people who couldn't need it more. There's 50 plus candidates for each heart that comes available. That's crazy odds! Faerie, I'm so sorry for your friends loss. They will be in my prayers. But thank you for raising awareness about something so important.
Sorry if this seems like an odd question but -- in my area there are a few medical schools and some people I've known donated their body to science when they died for use by the medical schools. Would any of you consider that or are you just straight donors? Personally, the idea of my heart, eyes, etc. saving someones life I find amazing and a no-brainer but the whole "donate to science" aspect of donating I'm not into.
Sorry if this seems like an odd question but -- in my area there are a few medical schools and some people I've known donated their body to science when they died for use by the medical schools. Would any of you consider that or are you just straight donors? Personally, the idea of my heart, eyes, etc. saving someones life I find amazing and a no-brainer but the whole "donate to science" aspect of donating I'm not into.
my mom wants to do this, but she has had a lot of medical problems. Not sure if she has made a final descion, but she has talked about it.
Sorry if this seems like an odd question but -- in my area there are a few medical schools and some people I've known donated their body to science when they died for use by the medical schools. Would any of you consider that or are you just straight donors? Personally, the idea of my heart, eyes, etc. saving someones life I find amazing and a no-brainer but the whole "donate to science" aspect of donating I'm not into.
I have a co-worker/friend who is planning to donate his body to science. He's actually donating it to Yale... but that's because he absolutely hates Yalies and has tattooed some... not...nice... things... on his feet for them to look at.. >_>
It's not for everyone, but I believe there are many people out there who look at donating their body to science as just another way to encourage learning as much as we can about our health. And if it helps the rest of humanity.. then so be it.
Once they've harvested all that they can from my body, I believe that I'd like to be buried in one of those au natural burial parks where there's nothing but the rest of me & worms.
I'm a donor I also donate blood every 59 days (well I haven't for a while due to being so sick). I am donating blood on the 14th
Sorry to hear of the loss. It's so tough to have to wait for a compatible donor.
A friend of mine lost her son about 10 years ago due to problematic lungs. He lost his first lung at age 1. His 2nd lung gave out when he was 8. He was on a donor list, and her roommate had been deleting messages from the hospital saying that there was a donor lung. She tried to sue him, but the guy got off because he "wasn's properly aware of the problems, and was not aware of the seriousness of the situation". Not aware my arse, he knew KNEW what was up and how much little Derek needed the lung donation.
Really ticks me off!!! She ended up getting charged for assault after the trial, and she said it was worth it.
I am an organ donor, and I donate blood 6x per year (I'm in the sixer club).
I made sure to have it put on my license, and had to talk to my mother about it. She had some problems with me donating organs, and I didn't want there to be a fight between her and DH about it.
If you are a donor, please make sure you have it in writing and tell everyone so there won't be any disputes after your death.
I'm a donor I also donate blood every 59 days (well I haven't for a while due to being so sick). I am donating blood on the 14th
Sorry to hear of the loss. It's so tough to have to wait for a compatible donor.
A friend of mine lost her son about 10 years ago due to problematic lungs. He lost his first lung at age 1. His 2nd lung gave out when he was 8. He was on a donor list, and her roommate had been deleting messages from the hospital saying that there was a donor lung. She tried to sue him, but the guy got off because he "wasn's properly aware of the problems, and was not aware of the seriousness of the situation". Not aware my arse, he knew KNEW what was up and how much little Derek needed the lung donation.
Really ticks me off!!! She ended up getting charged for assault after the trial, and she said it was worth it.
Omgosh! I believe it would have been well worth it. How cruel to delete those messages.
Thanks again to all for bringing up more things to think about when donating or giving blood. I sometimes wish that the US had an "Opt-out" program instead of an "Opt-in" program. I feel that more people might be willing to donate if it didn't take them any time at all!
A friend of mine, 38 years old, died over the summer while waiting for a donor kidney. No one in the immediate family was a good match for him. I couldn't imagine NOT being an organ donor after seeing what his family went through. What a blessing it would be to be able to give someone a second chance at having a healthy life.
I am a donor, and also would be happy to donate my body to science after I'm gone. Look, I'm not going to be there anymore. It's not pretty to think about, I agree, but I'd rather have the body be used, I'd rather give as much as I can to the world even AFTER I'm gone, than hold back something just because of the ick factor. In my case, my father also plans to donate his body to science, and half of my family are holocaust survivors, and so are used to the idea of grieving without a body. If I had a family member who was REALLY bothered by the idea, that would be the sole reason I'd consider not extending my usefulness as far as possible. Sorry, wormies.
And I'm so sorry to hear about all of you who have lost family members or friends through lack of available organs. The other thing I've been wondering about a lot is donating a kidney to a matching, unknown donor now. The data out there seems to be slightly conflicting, but apparently if you have no family history of renal disease or other risk factors, the effect on the donor is negligible. Also, I believe prior donors are immediately moved to the top of transplant lists if they need an organ. What do you think? We all agree we'd give away our organs after we're not using them, or to someone we know personally - would you go out looking for someone who could use an extra (albeit back-up) organ of yours?
I'm a donor. I know they say it's everyone's personal choice, but I think it's completely selfish not to be an organ donor unless it's for religious reasons. My cousin says it's "creepy" so she isn't. It doesn't make sense to me.
My great uncle donated his body to science. Thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world. Actually, he had had so many surgeries, he thought he could be of some use. He passed away over a decade ago and his daughter is now receiving his remains.
I'm a donor and its only a recent thing. The reason is my husband is a donor and I figured why not. If it was just me, my family would not be happy with me being a donor.
It is partially religious reasons although I'm not religious but it is one of those things that I was told not to do growing up. My mom also has the belief that 'they' may not be so eager to save you if they know you are a donor. I know it sounds weird but that is also one of her reasons.
I do give blood pretty regularly although my local red cross doesn't always make it easy. I've given blood off and on since I was in high school.
I do think it is up to the person on whether they should be a donor because it is a very personal decision. Families should respect their wishes as well as friends and others. I really wouldn't call someone selfish because of it because it is up to them and no one else on what to do with their own body.
I also donate blood every 59 days (well I haven't for a while due to being so sick). I am donating blood on the 14th 
