Click on the comments page of the below post and read the comment, sorry, advertisment by "Dave"
Very interested on your opinions on this "solution" to the problem of organ shortages.
Ready....steady....debate!
Reflections
4 months ago
About Me
- Tinypoppet
- 29 years old, small blonde and smiley. I love life, but was facing a death sentence due to end stage cystic fibrosis. Thanks to the generosity of a stranger I received a life-saving double lung transplant in January 2007, and am now a very proud mummy. I am very much a people person and a rather girly girl, loving all things pink! I enjoy talking, laughing, utilising my love of talking in the form of public speaking and awareness raising, and inventing new words and then being unable to separate them from real ones in my head.
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6 comments:
I can't see how it could possibly work! Here are some of the reasons:
1. If someone isn't registered and then finds they need a transplant, woulnd't they just join the register so they would be entitled to one back?
2. What if someone had never heard of the organ donor register or had the issue brought to their attention but would have been happy to donate? Do they get penalised for not having been aware of someting?
3. What about people who don't speak English or can't read, so woulnd't be able to fill in the forms to register anyway?
4. Many people believe they woulnd't be suitable for donation (too old, smoke, drink, have diabetes, etc) - would they be penalised for their ignorance?
5. What about people who genuinely can't donate their organs (e.g. they have HIV)? Do they have to sign the ODR anyway (even though there is no point) just to be entitled to receive a transplant?
6. How does this effect children? They may be too young to register themselves on the ODR or their parents may not agree with them joining it. Does this mean they can't receive a transplant?
Then you have the issue of family consent anyway! Someone might say to their family "please decline consent on my behalf if the situation arises! I'm only signing up for this so I can have a transplant if I need one".
Will be interested to see other views but mine are that it couldn't work sensibly in practise.
Hey Emily...
There are a lot of "what abouts" and "what ifs"... I also don't agree that this is a good idea... I think it's selfish and smacks of "what's in it for me?" as well as double-dipping... If Dave is so adamant about how wonderful his idea is -- it would only seem fair that LifeSharer's listed people would also take themselves off the U.S. national list -- but many are seeing this as slipping into two lines or queues... And -- in my eyes, you are a well-known blogger in the transplant community... Beyond touting all of the American statistics -- one might thing he would know you're in the U.K.
Another fascinating fact in the U.S. and it may even be more prevalent in the U.K. -- more than half of those who donate never actually committed to donation... Though they may not have "signed up" or signed their registry -- but then the time came, they committed -- they went beyond registering, they acted -- they donated... Dave and LifeSharers say that these families -- these actual donors -- are not worthy of an organ on their list and in their eyes... A little hypocritical if you ask me...
Emmie is right in her comment -- people simply may not know about the registering... They may be good people who would donate in a heartbeat (or the ceasing of a heartbeat) but they wouldn't be considered in Dave's world...
In a more perfect world, the idea that, if everyone were given the opportunity to opt in, or opt out -- offering donated organs to those who opt in first would seem like a reasonable thing... But the world isn't perfect -- there are too many "what ifs"...
My donor family lost a precious 17-year-old daughter and sister... I can't imagine the pain they experienced when they stepped back and made that decision that saved my life... I doubt that they are on Mr. Undis's little list... And that he would consciously pass them over were they in need, when they have proven their worth, even in his eyes, is unconscionable...
I hope you're doing well, Emily... I'm so glad you got what you needed... I think you're beautiful too, Emmie -- and if and when the day ever comes when you need, I hope it was some person or family influenced by someone like Emily...
I think what you both are doing with Life Life Then Give Life is more meaningful than LifeSharers will ever be...
Love,
Steve
I can see where Dave is coming from.... but like Emmie points out, is would never work and wouldn't be fair because of the reasons she has identified. I think it's an unrealistic idea
Agree totally with Emmie
I also think it's a wider question of putting conditions on the giving of organs, something that I do not agree with at all
I think organs are a precious gift that should be given freely... putting a condition on opens the floodgates to take us to a very dark place indeed
Lifesharers caused some upset on Transplant Cafe.
I don't like the idea at all.
I agree that those registered as organ donors need to sign up unconditionally.
Audrey
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