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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think that organ donation should be opt in not opt out

217 replies

SodaStreamy · 12/07/2013 16:41

Wales is introducing an 'opt out' for organ donation.Scotland is watching to see if it's worth doing

Personally I don't think this is right

It's taking bits of a humans body without consent

The reasons I am not an organ donor are thus,

there are far too many people who have a dontated organs and change there behaviour and start displaying charactistics of the organ donars personality

I do not want anyone ever to think it's ok to take a bit of my body and put it in someone else and if it wanted it too happen I would tell yes , i'm an organ donor .

But if I don't want it to happen I do not think I hould have to sign a form saying my organs are not harvestable

OP posts:
seanbonbon · 13/07/2013 11:20

"If I die I want to die in the knowledge that my body belongs to me" What???
First of all it's not 'if' you die but rather 'when' and you want to know that your dead body will belong to you, who will also be dead obviously Confused

Don't worry, you can just opt out and then none of those greedy feckers will get their hands on your precious organs. Hmm

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 13/07/2013 11:21

there are far too many people who have a dontated organs and change there behaviour and start displaying charactistics of the organ donars personality

Have you seen Heart Condition where racist Bob Hopkins gets murder victim Denzel Washington's heart and undergoes a character transformation?

FYI it wasn't a documentary.

elQuintoConyo · 13/07/2013 11:25

I'll be dead. Take what you need. Except my eyes, they're shit.

Oot in/opt out, if you don't agree with donation, choose the best option for you.

Then stfu (in the nicest possible way).

seanbonbon · 13/07/2013 11:29

They really removed a child's kidney with the family there? And pain was felt?? You really need to shut up now, this is bullshit.

BlessedDespair · 13/07/2013 11:44

Hmmm I personally would choose to opt out and family know this. If I never got round to opting out could the hospital take my organs even though family know my wishes?

What if my notes were lost or they didn't know who I was. Would they keep me 'alive' until they found out if I was opted out, would they let me die not knowing, would they start harvesting before they knew either way?

Would far rather an opt in system. I know which members of my family want to donate and which parts of their body they would like to donate.

If I could choose who my organs were donated to I'd be more likely to opt in. I don't want to donate to someone who, through there own actions require a donation, eg smoking/drinking to excess/drugs. They may well have changed, and as far as I'm aware have to have changed to get an organ, but I wouldn't want my organs going to them :(

CleverlyConcealed · 13/07/2013 11:44

Thanks Catherine.

Jengnr · 13/07/2013 11:58

If you never get round to opting out you haven't opted out. It's really very easy.

Lets not go saving anyone eh? After all, it misses an excellent opportunity to pass judgement.

SoupDragon · 13/07/2013 11:58

Kafri why can't we have a system where you can only receive a donation of you're registered to make a donation - fair's fair

Because providing treatment on anything other than a medical need basis is, IMO, utterly abhorrent. If you start doing that, where does the line get drawn?

LaLaLeni · 13/07/2013 11:59

Schilke - it's great that your family do know each other's wishes, but you are a rarity. Many people don't have close family, or it never gets discussed. In reality you could desire to be buried but never tell anyone, so you may be cremated instead. What is different about this? You still have the choice and no doubt you'll be asked the question at every opportunity to opt out if you want to. It's not as if the state will collect everyone's organs in some big vault where secret agents pace around rubbing their hands in glee. Harvesting is always done as if the patient were alive. This is explained to the family of the deceased along with the rest of the process in a really sensitive and informative way. Each organ is treated like the amazingly special gift that it is.

I really can't see how giving the gift of life, even if someone had sort of thought they didn't like the idea, could ever be anything bad? Nobody wants to die anyway, so none of us get what we want in death. People seem happy to go against the wishes of loved ones who were on the register when they feel weird about it themselves, so I really think this whole argument of going against wishes of dead people is a bit odd. It's more about how the living feel about death in general.

When you're treated in hospital they have to presume consent to give you that treatment if you're not able to give it, and this is when you're still alive. Surgery can involve removing organs in an emergency without consent to save a life. So why does it actually matter if your organs are taken for an altruistic purpose when you're already dead? The outcome is the same - saving a life.

The number of people who actually do feel they don't want to donate is likely to be fairly small, so the current system is geared towards a minority. We try to improve medicine for the survival of our species and this is just part of that.

Your body goes off to be viewed and touched by complete strangers before burial or cremation, but because this is something society is used to we don't feel we need to consent to it.

Isn't it better to deal with the psychological reasons people feel weird about it rather than letting that prevent transplant patients from having better chances of life?

I would donate bone marrow and even a kidney in life if someone needed one and I was able to; the idea that any desire to hold on to parts of my flesh that I've never even seen could mean someone else actually dies is horrific to me.

The comparison is: feeling a bit uncomfortable with the unknown, vs another person (possibly a child) actually losing their life. How is there even a debate over which one of these is worse? Donating an organ is one of the only true forms of altruism.

SoupDragon · 13/07/2013 11:59

If I never got round to opting out could the hospital take my organs even though family know my wishes

If you never get round to opting out, you clearly don't feel very strongly about it.

CloudsAndTrees · 13/07/2013 12:02

The same can be said of opting in SoupDragon.

Isn't the gift of an organ a better thing when someone actually wants to give it?

ReindeerBollocks · 13/07/2013 12:25

I agree with the opt out system - even then, if a person hasn't made their wishes known or opted out, their family can still refuse their organs for donation.

The government isn't trying to own peoples insides, they are looking for a more practical solution to the massive shortfall in organs that we have. Spain have been opt out for years, and have less people comparatively on the list.

slimshady you and your DS are amazing. Choosing to allow his organs to be donated must have been incredibly difficult but he has saved people's lives. THat is a wonderful legacy. I am sorry for your loss.

ledkr I hope your DS gets his transplant soon - kidney failure is so very difficult and hard to live with even with dialysis. Fingers crossed he gets his call soon.

OP - its not your fault that you areen't knowledgeable. Clearly you've been fortunate to never have a loved one on the list. Instead of criticising those who are on the list/agree with donation - go and read some stories about people whose lives have been transformed by organ donation. Might make you understand the position a bit more.

I have a DS who will need heart/lungs when he's older. Also had a DH who needed a kidney. If you don't have personal experience of this position then I suggest you stop throwing around emotional fuelled statements which are bound to offend those who have been on the list, or who have loved ones on the list. It's extremely tactless and downright rude IMO.

cheerfulweather · 13/07/2013 12:46

I've opted in, so am on the register. But YANBU.

doobeedee · 13/07/2013 13:00

The point of an opt out trial is that the current opt in one is NOT WORKING!!! And if you can inherit personality from donated organs I'm glad the OP doesn't want to donate!

SoupDragon · 13/07/2013 13:36

The same can be said of opting in SoupDragon.

Yes, but there are a lot of people who haven't opted in who don't really have a preference. The ones who have opted in are the ones with strong feelings about it.

CloudsAndTrees · 13/07/2013 13:38

I see your point, but I think it would be better to have a massive public campaign to make people think about their preference and register their decision to donate if they want to before we even think of moving to an opt out system.

SoupDragon · 13/07/2013 13:40

Isn't the gift of an organ a better thing when someone actually wants to give it?

No, I don't think it is. I think it is a bloody miracle regardless and I suspect the recipients wouldn't care whether it was from someone who opted in rather than someone who simply didn't opt out.

Whether the system is opt in or opt out will not affect those who passionately believe about donating or not donating. However, opt in excludes the apathetic masses whereas opt out includes them.

SoupDragon · 13/07/2013 13:41

I do agree with what was said either here or on another thread that once a person has registered their wishes that is it. No chance for NOK to change those wishes. They would do well to address this first.

I don't think a campaign will change anything greatly.

SoupDragon · 13/07/2013 13:43

I hold my hand up as one of the apathetic masses. Whilst I don't have any objection to donating, the thought of actually making a decision about my untimely death puts me off.

Which is ridiculous, I know. Opt out suits me perfectly!

Choccywoccydodah · 13/07/2013 13:51

Op, if your dh or dc needed a kidney, and you were a match, would you let them die? Or would you not even be tested?

yetanotherworry · 13/07/2013 13:57

For the people worried about the consent issue, I'm sure that all the opt-in does is let the hospital know that this is the patients wishes. They still need to seek consent from the next of kin but it makes the situation easier for the hospital staff to bring up. In the current situation, people are often in a state of shock and haven't thought about it. By the time they get the chance to think it through the organs are not good to use. The opt-in system would hopefully mean that there aren't so many wasted organs

LustyBusty · 13/07/2013 14:13

For those who haven't gotten round to it, don't know how, or hasn't really thought about it here is a link where you can register online and find out more. I updated my details (looks like the same process). Took me 30 seconds. Please. Thanks

SauvignonBlanche · 13/07/2013 14:43

That's a great idea, CleverlyConcealed! I'm often dismayed at the level on ignorance displayed by some MNers about organ transplantation (though the OP takes the Biscuit).

ComposHat · 13/07/2013 15:02

I am an organ donor and although your reasons are batshit crazy, I agree that there shouldn't be presumed consent to take organs.

I've mase an informed decision to donate my organs, but I wouldn't want to o assume that someone else has made that choice.

BoneyBackJefferson · 13/07/2013 15:17

I have known too many pieces of paper go "missing" to be happy with an opt out system.