To wonder what reasons people give for being willing to accept an organ but not donate

[crashdoll]

What the title says really.

I am happy for all my organs to be donated when I'm gone. I'd also accept an organ transplant if I was in that position. I know there are religious reaons for not donating certain organs but I do wonder how people can rationalise not donating organs if they are willing to accept.

We're both on the register and I donate blood. DH will donate as soon as he stops fainting when presented with a needle, apparently they don't really like taking blood from an unconscious man!
He's unsure about donating his eyes though as he has Glaucoma and can't imagine anyone would get use out of them, happy to be corrected though.
I like the idea of presumed consent and opt out.

The squeamishness is understandable, but something that can be overcome. You're a grown up. Overcome it.

I'm happy to donate anything except eggs. Lungs, heart, liver, corneas- take them all, I won't need them when I'm gone. It's the ultimate form of recycling! I've also just signed up to become a blood donor and I've been on the brain donor list for a few years.

I'd also like to be on the bone marrow donor list but I don't think they'll have me while I'm still breastfeeding. My DSM donated a few years ago and said it was very rewarding and not in the least traumatic or painful.

I used to work in a transplantation lab and realised that despite this I wasn't signed up. I changed that quickly, but just goes to show that people who would be willing just don't do it for whatever reason. I signed up when getting a Boots Advantage card. Great idea.

I was a bit squeamish about it, then realised how little importance that had compared to people who would otherwise die. So I got over it. I think lots of people are squeamish about eyes because they think of it being the whole eye, and someone will be walking around with their eyes!

I don't understand how people can think so selfishly to consider accepting an organ but not giving. Maybe if faced with a decision after a family member has died a reaction not to give is understandable. But don't get how someone can think that when thinking about it in theory.

I'm on the register. So is my DS. I used to be on there for everything except my eyes when I was younger, though have changed it.

When you're dead, you're gone. And even if there is an afterlife, it's your spirit that goes on. Not your liver.

We are all on the register here. Even 5mo DS; when I registered him at the doctors there was a tick box for 'National organ donor register'. It made me feel a bit sick inside but I ticked it, just like I had for DD1 and 2.
I'm baffled by the mindset of feeling uncomfortable with donating. You'd rather have your body parts rot and liquefy underground, or be burned to ashes, than save a very sick person's life? You could be a hero, a literal life saver, part of you will literally live on in tribute to your selflessness. Somebody could have their life put back together, and by extension their family's, just because you ticked yes instead of no.

I was another eye refuser, too squeamish and rationalised that corneas weren't life saving. Anyway I grew up a bit and would now donate anything.

I don't believe in God, but I'd like to think that if he came back my 90+ disabled Grandma would be provided with her 20 something fully functioning body rather than a useless old one.

I don't think you could or should impose some sort of moral merits testing for eligibility for organs. It should only be on medical grounds, I assume need and likelihood of success. Personal merit is unworkably complicated (well he was a burglar, but have you looked at his traumatic childhood in care) and I don't think you could ever agree the criteria. For example, is being a soldier good or bad, there are legitimate opinions each way. What about religious observance? Or meat eating?

I had a double organ transplant 6 years ago. I strongly believe that I wouldn't be here now if I hadn't received the amazing gift of life from an amazing 19 year old boy. I am in regular contact with his mum and I know that she takes a great deal of comfort from the fact that her son has given life to 4 other people.

clucky80 ^^ this is the reason I will donate anything from my body when I have passed. I also hope that I have the strength, god forbid, if anything happens to my children.

Giving life to others when you are no longer in need of your body is the right thing to do.

Having watched my mum die (cancer) my feelings were cemented. When I watched her die she was no longer my mum, it was just a body. All the things that made her, her were in her soul.

I am on the register and would happily donate anything that is of use, after all its no use to me but i'd be fortunate if i could help ease another families suffering. Unfortunately it is unlikely that anything much is of use due to the highly toxic drug therapy I'm on for a long term medical condition, which will probably screw up the usefulness of my body to others.

I know someone slightly who has just lost a child in a horrific accident. The family immediately agreed to donate all her organs.

I hope it helps someone and brings them some small degree of comfort.

I've just realised that although it says on my US driving licence that I would like to donate everything, I wasn't signed up to the NHS register, which I have just done. So thank you adsss for posting the link.

One question - I don't know if my 14 month old DS is signed up, and not sure if I can use that form to sign up someone else. Anyone know?

I think the idea about not registering because you have medical issues or a problem with a particular body part is a bit of a red herring. For all I know my liver is shot but who knows, maybe part of it could be salvaged, or they might be able to use my skin or kidneys or something else. So I think the most responsible thing is to register to donate everything, and let medical professionals judge whether anything would be useful if it came to it.

I've always hoped to be like an Igor from the Discworld novels and help loads of people when I die with body parts they can use

When my dd was 9 months old she was gravely ill and expected to die. I decided if she did die her organs would be donated because something good would come of from a terrible thing.

Fortunately and amazingly dd survived.

She's on the donor list as are my other two dc's and I've been on it since I was a teenager.

They can have anything and everything tht'll help someone else. They can even use bits for medical science and research if they want. Because without the wonders of medical science dd would not be alive today.

Sorry to hijack, but if any of you had dc who were vehemently opposed to organ donation would you override their wishes if the worst happened?

This is an issue that DH and I don't agree on, he would want to override ds's wishes where as I wouldn't - I may not agree with ds's wishes but I do think they should be respected.

I will be honest here and say on my part its pure selfishness. I couldn't bare the idea of parts of my dp or dc being given out to all an sundry I would want them whole.

On the other hand if any of us needed an organ we would Definately accept. And if tey make the changes to opting out ( not sure if this has happened yet) then all of us will be doin this.

I find myself extraordinarily upset by this. How can people say they won't donate, but would be happy to take a donation? How can they?

Because human instinct is routed in survival and if an organ donation is what was is needed then of course people will accept. I suspect a lot of people have selfish reasons like I do but I doubt many would admit this.

We don't have a register, but I've had a donation card since my mid-teens (so early that my Mum had to sign it as my next of kin, I wasn't "allowed" decide it myself yet then). I don't think my parents actually have cards, but there was no issue with signing mine. (I have ticked for everything except my lungs - asthmatic - and eyes - I need glasses, but I get away without wearing those so if they actually wanted my eyes, they could take them).

DH has also had a card for donkey's years, also since before he met me. He's ticked everything (he needs to wear his glasses but otherwise good shape).

DH has his silver pin for blood donation but can't at the moment due to travel to the African continent.

I have tried 4 times and donated twice, but had to go on steroids for asthma in my early twenties so cannot give blood anymore because of that. (If I come off the inhalers, I can, but I DO accept that I need them).

We have talked about it in relation to DD in the past, and if anything ever happened, we will be donating her organs too.

I am currently looking into the option of donating my body to medical science (which would probably rule out donation of organs) - but I am only in the early stages of that and I am hopeful that I'd have YEARS to organise myself....

I find it extraordinary that people seem to think that being upset to have lost a family member would not be the worst that could happen! Do you love your child's liver, kidneys, heart? Do they have some kind of emotional meaning to you beyond the fact that they keep your loved ones alive?

I couldn't bear the idea of my dp or dc not being alive. Anything else is just daft - especially if you wouldn't mind your loved ones containing someone else's heart!

People are really hypocritical.

I'm religious. When much younger I used to think that I couldn't be cremated or donate organs. Now I think it's all nonsense.

I would donate everything, mine, my children's and husband's. I think it's terrible that people don't want to donate organs.

There should definitely be an opt-out system.

But you understand that if everyone was that selfish, Fairy, you and your family wouldn't ever be in the position of being able to accept such a donation? So what - do you just hope that most people are selfless so that you can be selfish? Do you have an idea about roughly how many people we can sustain being selfish, as long as the rest are not?

original I would actually be uncomfortable worth he idea of havin a donor organ for any of us as I worry about "memories" etc daft I know but would accept if the choice wa that or death

But I stand by what I say te last thing I would want after losing a child is some pushy dr asking for their organs and someone cutting them up. It's as simple as that for me

Jesus wept.