[Buckaroo]

I'm a little against this proposal, but I believe that as long as those people that specifically said NO will be protected, then it might be okay.

The proposals would mean consent for organ donation after death would be automatically presumed, unless individuals had opted out of the national register or family members objected.

Organs to be taken without consent - Telegraph

[Chuckit]

To be realistic, these people aren't going to mind.

[Eug]

This is the lazy solution.

I think they'd be better off trying to educate the public, but that would take too much work.

It should be noted that this could be against certain beliefs and religions and therefore some would consider presumed consent disrepectful. For example, what happens if some John Doe dies after a car accident, and his organs are harvested. Then 3 weeks later the sister finds out and informs the hospital that the person was a member of the don't-touch-my-body religion?

Sure, the dead guy ain't going to mind, but I think it's presumptious to assume he would have agreed to have his organs harvested had he had a choice.

[Shaddim]

All the chavs are in barney.

[nonhuman]

This is why I put the little pink organ donor sticker on my license; it's much easier to just give an unequivocal yes. I won't need them any more at that point, might as well do someone else some good. I also told my fiancé that, should I die, she should feel free to just toss my corpse in a dumpster, or just not even claim it in the first place.

[chris v]

Seeing as how any idea like that will go nowhere fast in the USA anyway, I should really get on with filling out an organ donor card. Thanks for reminding me, and yeah, the opt-out idea seems a little creepy, but getting people to opt in has been slow going.

[Shaddim]

If it comes to that, they can take whatever they want from me, but I want the rest of my body shoved through a woodchipper, Fargo style.

[Face Ache]

I was all for organ donation until I actually watched a "harvest" and it creeped me out. They keep you alive artificially, remove everything they want, then turn the machines off and wait for you to die. Not a great way to go, even if you aren't "there". I think I'd prefer to die with some family around.

[Eug]

It should be noted that filling out an organ donor card is pretty much useless in North America. It's really just up to the family. If they say yes, then not having it filled out on your driver's licence means nothing. If your family says no, it doesn't matter if you wanted to donate your organs or not, cuz the hospital won't take them.

It only matters in the sense that if you fill out the donor card you are telling your family you're OK with it, and your family can use that info to better make their decision.

Originally Posted by Face Ache 

I was all for organ donation until I actually watched a "harvest" and it creeped me out. They keep you alive artificially, remove everything they want, then turn the machines off and wait for you to die. Not a great way to go, even if you aren't "there". I think I'd prefer to die with some family around.

Well yeah. It's definitely a weird thing. However, it can save a life. More than one in fact.

I've already told my family that I'm perfectly happy if they give my organs away after I croak.

[Face Ache]

Originally Posted by Eug 

I've already told my family that I'm perfectly happy if they give my organs away after I croak.

Oh I have no problems with "after I croak" harvesting. It's the pre-croak harvesting that concerns me.

[Buckaroo]

Originally Posted by Face Ache 

I was all for organ donation until I actually watched a "harvest" and it creeped me out. They keep you alive artificially, remove everything they want, then turn the machines off and wait for you to die. Not a great way to go, even if you aren't "there". I think I'd prefer to die with some family around.

Wow, are you serious. Damn. The only way I will ever agree to it is if I am 100% dead.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Face Ache 

Oh I have no problems with "after I croak" harvesting. It's the pre-croak harvesting that concerns me.

By "croak" I mean braindead.

If you're completely dead (organs stopped functioning), then many of your organs may be useless. Sure you can donate corneas and bones if your body has been sitting there a while dead, but the biggies like heart, lung, and liver will be completely unusable.

[Face Ache]

I know. <shrug>

It would be nice if there was a way to get your organs a few minutes after you'd died. Who determines death as brain death? Let's have a 40+ page Terry Schiavo argument.

[smacintush]

If I'm dead, I seriously don't give a rats ass what is done with my carcass.

My wife's instructions are:

I don't care if you have a $50,000 funeral for me or you literally throw me in a ditch on the way to Walmart. Whatever you do just don't pretend it's "for me".

So, yeah. Take my organs…or don't. I don't really care. Giving someone permission to do something with my carcass after I'm dead seems pretty silly to me.

[Chuckit]

I'm not going to just let someone die simply because I find it a little creepy to save them.

[ghporter]

Everyone should have advance directives. These detail what you want to happen to you if you can't voice your preferences yourself. Organ donation, "heroic measures", "do not resuscitate" in certain circumstances, any health care situation can be covered by this. In some situations, a medical power of attorney is recommended-as in you are at odds with most of your family so you give legal authority to make your medical decisions to someone you trust.

In Texas there is actually a state-wide database that lists people who have volunteered to be organ donors. If you're all alone and in some terrible accident (and they can identify you, of course), then your organ donor status is available no matter where you are in the state. And it's a big state.

[The Godfather]

If you don't want your organs harvested, get some Hepatitis, survive it, and no-one will want your ******* blood or bodyparts.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Eug 

It should be noted that filling out an organ donor card is pretty much useless in North America. It's really just up to the family. If they say yes, then not having it filled out on your driver's licence means nothing. If your family says no, it doesn't matter if you wanted to donate your organs or not, cuz the hospital won't take them.

It only matters in the sense that if you fill out the donor card you are telling your family you're OK with it, and your family can use that info to better make their decision.

You can still make it your decision by telling family that if they are asked to donate your organs and they say "no," against your wishes, that your will is written such that they don't get ANYTHING... instead the entire estate goes to medical charities. Then you make sure that gets put in your will, and instruct the executor to demonstrate that, in the event they were asked, that they said "yes" or "no."

Easy way to handle that.

[peeb]

"I don't care if you have a $50,000 funeral for me or you literally throw me in a ditch on the way to Walmart. Whatever you do just don't pretend it's "for me"."
50,000 won't buy you much of a funeral in the US, I'm afraid.

[iranfromthezoo]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Everyone should have advance directives. These detail what you want to happen to you if you can't voice your preferences yourself. Organ donation, "heroic measures", "do not resuscitate" in certain circumstances, any health care situation can be covered by this. In some situations, a medical power of attorney is recommended-as in you are at odds with most of your family so you give legal authority to make your medical decisions to someone you trust.

In Texas there is actually a state-wide database that lists people who have volunteered to be organ donors. If you're all alone and in some terrible accident (and they can identify you, of course), then your organ donor status is available no matter where you are in the state. And it's a big state.

yeah but "do not resuscitate" rules must be signed once every year to stay valid. Also all of your advance directives are thrown out the window if a family says to EMS to work them unless it is obvious death.


But do no

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by peeb 

"I don't care if you have a $50,000 funeral for me or you literally throw me in a ditch on the way to Walmart. Whatever you do just don't pretend it's "for me"."
50,000 won't buy you much of a funeral in the US, I'm afraid.

I just Googled it and Motley Fool suggests that a funeral generally costs less than $10,000. So I imagine you could do some pretty cool stuff with the extra $40,000+.

[lpkmckenna]

I think the state should institute a "donor tattoo." That way, if you want to be a donor, your family won't be able to stop it.

BTW, "anti-donor-ism" is on my "no exceptions" policy-list. In other words, I tell people who are against donor-ship in no uncertain terms that they are morons.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by peeb 

50,000 won't buy you much of a funeral in the US, I'm afraid.

Are you planning a funeral with a gold plated rocket casket with your carcass to be launched into space?

I admit though, that would be cool.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Are you planning a funeral with a gold plated rocket casket with your carcass to be launched into space?

I'd like the idea of being hurtled into the ground by some variety of large trebuchet.

[peeb]

yep - sorry - misread the number of zeros!

[Face Ache]

Originally Posted by Face Ache 

I was all for organ donation until I actually watched a "harvest" and it creeped me out. They keep you alive artificially, remove everything they want, then turn the machines off and wait for you to die. Not a great way to go, even if you aren't "there". I think I'd prefer to die with some family around.

Feeling 'pretty good' after being declared dead - World - smh.com.au

Feeling 'pretty good' after being declared dead

March 25, 2008 - 8:49AM
Four months after he was declared brain dead and doctors were about to remove his organs for transplant, Zach Dunlap says he feels "pretty good".

Mr Dunlap was pronounced dead on November 19 last year at United Regional Healthcare System in Wichita Falls, Texas, in the United States, after he was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident. His family agreed to having his organs harvested.

As family members were paying their last respects, he moved his foot and hand. He reacted to a pocketknife scraped across his foot and to pressure applied under a fingernail.

Did I mention that when they harvest organs, the organs are no good if they're loaded with anaesthetics? No anaesthetics for you!

But then you're brain dead anyway, right? Right?

[Cipher13]

I like this idea. If you really don't want it done, you can opt-out. Better than having to opt-in, when most people are probably okay with it but just too lazy to change their donor status.

As others have said above - I'm gonna make damn sure that when I die, the funeral costs are absolutely minimal. Funerals are an idiotic thing to waste money on.

If it was legal, I'd have my corpse burned on a pyre and dumped in the ocean somewhere (after everything useful was harvested).

* Wood - free.
* Accelerant - a few bucks.

Perfect.

[Doofy]

Can't believe I missed this.

No no no no no no NO. I am not the property of the state.

Plus, here in the UK they'll assign you a DNR order and not bother to feed you just to free up a bed and hit some government targets. I'm not kidding.
Don't believe me? This is from today's paper.