**Organ Donation**

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Will you donate your organs?

    • 123
      Yes, I am registered
    • 12
      No, I am not registered, but, plan to do so
    • 8
      No, I do not believe in this at all
    • 12
      I am undecided at this time

155 members have participated

Just wondering if many are registered anywhere?

Also, what do you think about this?

Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
Thank you. Perhaps it will mean more coming from someone who is a recipient.

Makes sense. But I have a weird question for you. I have heard a few people express that they would not want an organ from a prisoner who was a child molester and died, or someone who was a murderer and died. These people never had the opportunity to be offered such an organ, they had not yet received any organ.

If you had a choice between the liver of a murderer or no liver for another year, thus risking your life... what would you do?

I know, weird question. But I've always wanted to know that from someone who has had a transplant vs. someone who mentions it before they are offered an organ. Seems to me a liver is a liver and it wasn't the liver's fault someone was a turd in life. But that's me, I'm interested in your opinion.

I am going to start calling you "Leave It To Bipley", :rotfl: We can always count on you for a lively discussion.

I did a huge reasearch paper in school on organ transplantation in China. ......and yes, it is true, they execute prisoners and use their organs. These people are not murderers or child molestors. They are executed for minor crimes and maybe not even a crime. No, I would not accept an organ executed for this.

As far as accepting one from a murderer.......I think I would say no. There are some interesting theories on cellular memory and taking on traits of the donor. I can't say I am totally convinced about cellular memory - but I have developed a couple of allergies I never used to have. No, I would want no connection with a murderer or pedophile. I would continue to wait.

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Hello, I just wanted to share my experieinces with organ donation. I have always been involved in 'Recycling Life'. It started by being listed as an organ donor, once I turned 18 years old. I also donate blood at every opportunity, and am on the bone marrow registry.

However, one of my life's peak experiences occured when I became a living-related kidney donor for my son 8 years ago. It is an awesome experience! I highly recommend it! Besides actually giving birth, nothing else has compared to that feeling of giving life.I was up and out of the hospital on the 4th day, and my son has been living an almost 'normal' life, since the transplant.

Please do what ever you can to educate people about organ donation. It does save lives!

dona

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I'm not sure what you meant by that question about letting someone die.

That is what I am objecting to.....the potential recipient has to have a huge amount of money before even getting the organ. Sure they need to pay OR costs and that sort of thing I suppose; but it shouldn't cost these people six figures.

I'm not answering any specific questions. You're trying to make me defensive and I'm not....nothing to be defensive about.......the system is flawed and needs to be looked at before I would even consider being an organ donor.

I'm sorry I don't agree with the money thing either. While my father was lucky to have good insurance which really helped out there were people in all different situations waiting for organs on the floor with him, some with great insurance, some with HMOs, some with medical assistance and some with no insurance.

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I am going to start calling you "Leave It To Bipley", :rotfl: We can always count on you for a lively discussion.

I did a huge reasearch paper in school on organ transplantation in China. ......and yes, it is true, they execute prisoners and use their organs. These people are not murderers or child molestors. They are executed for minor crimes and maybe not even a crime. No, I would not accept an organ executed for this.

As far as accepting one from a murderer.......I think I would say no. There are some interesting theories on cellular memory and taking on traits of the donor. I can't say I am totally convinced about cellular memory - but I have developed a couple of allergies I never used to have. No, I would want no connection with a murderer or pedophile. I would continue to wait.

People often mention ... Out of the mouth's of babes. Same concept holds true for Bipley's mouth. :p

Thanks for answering my weird questions! HA!

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Specializes in Transplant, Trauma/Surgical, Pre-reg.

I've been reading everyone's replies about transplants with great interest. I currently work on a transplant floor and have personally witnessed good and bad outcomes of transplantation. Like most of you, I am also a registered donor. However, there are a few "ethical" concerns I really didn't think about until I started working on my unit. Patients with end stage liver disease secondary to ETOH are getting livers without the preferred 6 months or more of sobriety only to come back in needing another liver in a year or two from drinking. Also, my hospital does not do this, but another well-know medical center in my area transplants patients with HIV/AIDS. Supposedly these patients get the second-hand organs (e.g. fatty livers, etc.) that most healthy transplant recipients wouldn't get. I find this interesting.

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My husband's uncle was the recepient of a heart-lung transplant three years ago. Before the transplant, he HATED bananas...made him feel sick to even think about bananas...now, he CRAVES them. He also used to hate country music...now he is a big fan of Toby Keith, Shania Twain, and Willie Nelson. He received a letter from the donor's family about a year ago and they told him how their father loved banana cream pie and always dreamed about meeting the members of Alabama...

He got the cravings for bananas and started to love country music about six months post transplant...

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However, there are a few "ethical" concerns I really didn't think about until I started working on my unit. Patients with end stage liver disease secondary to ETOH are getting livers without the preferred 6 months or more of sobriety only to come back in needing another liver in a year or two from drinking.

I have a major problem with this. My sister's evil skank step mother (I don't claim her) has five felon sons. One has a long history of illegal drug abuse. He trashed his liver and so they gave him a donor liver. He's in the process of trashing that one and I assumed he would out of luck but nope, he'll soon be on a waiting list for yet another liver.

How stupid!

People who didn't do illegal drugs should get first shot at a liver and people who use illegal drugs at the very least shouldn't get a 2nd donor liver.

This is a guy that has no intention of stopping drugs. None. What a waste. Someone worthy could be using that liver. Someone worthy of O2 on this planet. My sister's evil skank step mother's drug abusing felon shouldn't be up for a 2nd donor liver.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

My Nurse Practitioner's daughter has leukemia. Her school held a bone marrow donor drive. I'd been typed many years ago for my cousin who had non hodgkins lymphoma. When I went to this drive I was told I was TOO OLD! Is that typical? What makes my marrow too old. My hgb is fine, my bones are fine and if it would save this kids life my marrow should be fine. It turned out she found a donor right before the drive but they held it anyway. Is there really such a thing?

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
I've been reading everyone's replies about transplants with great interest. I currently work on a transplant floor and have personally witnessed good and bad outcomes of transplantation. Like most of you, I am also a registered donor. However, there are a few "ethical" concerns I really didn't think about until I started working on my unit. Patients with end stage liver disease secondary to ETOH are getting livers without the preferred 6 months or more of sobriety only to come back in needing another liver in a year or two from drinking. Also, my hospital does not do this, but another well-know medical center in my area transplants patients with HIV/AIDS. Supposedly these patients get the second-hand organs (e.g. fatty livers, etc.) that most healthy transplant recipients wouldn't get. I find this interesting.

Hmmmmm, your transplant center must leave a lot lacking in the "social assessment" area. I nurse externed in transplant and enjoyed it immensely, but I found I love ICU even more.

I can only speak for Arizona, but, somebody drinking or abusing drugs wouldn't get a first transplant - let alone a second! (Remember I am speaking from the experience of being a recipient.)

The one thing I DO SEE that irritates me is people trying to commit suicide with tylenol overdoses getting liver transplants. Granted - these are young people, BUT, I think it would make more sense to give that scarce resource to somebody that wants to live!

Just my 2 cents

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I can only speak for Arizona

ARIZONA???? YEA AZ!!!!

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Not all sucidals want to die..so many want so much to live and need the mental health assistance to do so.

I have given a signed paper that after my death ..my body is to go to a medical university and the donor paper is with my doctor.

:) :) angelsarch :) :)

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ok, i have to comment on the turn the discussion is taking...

do you see what's happening here?

initially, the discussion focused on what a great thing organ/tissue donation is, how it saves lives yadda, yadda, yadda.

now, it's turned to making judgement calls: would you want 'tainted organs' (from convitcted felons) and how we feel about drug abusers or suicide attempters getting organs....

don't you see? it's a slippery slope! where do you draw the line? who gets to make ethical, moral and value judgements and why?

was it right for the illegal immigrant child a few years back to get a heart/lung before an american citizen? if someone overdoses on tylenol (thus destroying their liver), do they "deserve" a new one over an alcoholic? what about the case of the sheik in california that paid to be bumped up the list (non us citizen) ~ which is bad enough ~ but also the hospital employees that forged documentation and indicated that someone else actually got the organ, thus removing the sicker patients eligibility!

(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...home-headlines

hospital halts organ program

* st. vincent center in l.a. says a patient, 52nd on liver transplant list, got improper priority and the action was covered up.)

any system where human intervention is required is inherently flawed.

just like the u.s. justice system, the organ donor network attempts to be fair, but sometimes the 'guilty' go free (they get multiple organs/chances) and the 'innocent' suffer (they die while waiting for an organ).

so, i'm sorry to say that i just don't have enough faith in the goodness of humanity to always do the right thing, especially when we have documentation (newspapers, legal pleadings, first hand accounts) that underscore that this is a system rife with problems...

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