Organ Donation....Should One Have to Give to Receive?

Do you think that people who refuse for religious or personal reasons (not medical) to be organ donors should be allowed to be recipients? Should it affect a persons standing on the wait list?

I'm thinking if a person didn't want to donate for religious reasons they probably wouldn't want to receive either-like people who refuse to accept blood even if it means they will die. But I don't think it should prevent them from receiving a transplant if they need one. And there are some people who have illnesses that would prevent them from donating. And people can always change their minds about donating. Someone who finds themselves in need of one might start to better understand why it's so important.

That's a slippery slope, because children also need transplants and it's safe to say that very few of them have volunteered to give something of theirs to someone else.

CeCe wrote:I'm thinking if a person didn't want to donate for religious reasons they probably wouldn't want to receive either-like people who refuse to accept blood even if it means they will die. But I don't think it should prevent them from receiving a transplant if they need one. And there are some people who have illnesses that would prevent them from donating. And people can always change their minds about donating. Someone who finds themselves in need of one might start to better understand why it's so important.

I was thinking that too. I would think that people with hangups over organ donation would be against every angle of the process; giving and receiving.

Marc wrote:Do you think that people who refuse for religious or personal reasons (not medical) to be organ donors should be allowed to be recipients? Should it affect a persons standing on the wait list?

For strictly religious reasons, that would be quite interesting if they were okay with receiving someone else's organs and not willing to donate their own. If that's the case anyhow, then no......they shouldn't be penalized for it. If you need a kidney, you need a kidney. I'm not an organ donor. At least, that's what it says on my driver's license. But the only reason is because I still have this complex about me getting into a car accident and they might not try hard enough to save my life because I got some special heart valve that someone might need. A bit silly and superstitious, but whatever. I'll tell whoever in charge of my estate to make provisions to donate my organs when I fully and positively dead.

In no way should a person have to become an organ donor in order to receive it. Whether it's personal reasons or religious reasons or any reason, it shouldn't matter if they refuse - they should have just as much of a shot as anyone else.

With that said, in no way should their own personal decision affect their standing on a wait list.

still have this complex about me getting into a car accident and they might not try hard enough to save my life because I got some special heart valve that someone might need. A bit silly and superstitious, but whatever. I'll tell whoever in charge of my estate to make provisions to donate my organs when I fully and positively dead.

I have never read anyone admit to that in a post about organ donation in the past. But I am the same way. Having lived in a rural area, I know that when the ambulance comes in that area, it is staffed with volunteer EMT's. And what if one of them had a loved one in the hospital waiting for an organ? I worry about that. I don't have it marked on my license for that reason. But my family knows that if I am dead, they can take whatever they want.

To answer the OP, I don't think they should have to be willing to give to receive. First of all, anyone getting an organ would probably be deferred if they wanted to donate for not being healthy.

One thing that I think is interesting, in regard to kidney, is that people can cross donate. Like if two women need kidneys, but their husbands are not a match, they can do a switch if they find a cross match for both. I think that is pretty cool. It enables people to donate a kidney on their loved one's behalf, when they are not a direct match for their loved one.

Very interesting topic!

I do not think it should be a "rule" that one has to give to receive.

There are many people who are eliminated from organ donation because of illness. Their organs would not be suitable for anyone to have because of the drugs used in treatments or the illness itself. But...that same illness may require they receive a healthy organ to live. I believe they should be able to receive it.

Speaking of organs, how would you feel if someone asked you for one of yours out of the blue?




This shit is golden.