Curious thing..

[Big Daddy Funk]

I went to the provincial government health care office to renew my health card. It's a high tech gloss wallet card which you must present whenever you require the services of the health care system. After IDing me and photographing me they gave me a card which had 3 choices and must be signed before the renewed health card would be issued. The choices were: In the event that you are pronounced legally dead: Do you wish to donate your body to scientific research. or Do you wish to donate organs for transplant only. or Do you refuse to donate. The information is then recorded in the health system file, which doctors can easily access. I chose transplant donation because I believe it's a good thing. I'm of mixed feelings on the method of how I was required to decide on the spot, while waiting for my health card. I'd be interested in knowing what opinions are regarding organ donations as well as should we all be made to make a decision. Thx Rick

[DGXSER]

Here in the USA, or at least in Ohio, when you get your drivers license renewed thay ask if you want to be an organ doner. Have for as long as I can recall.

[trbig]

Just know that when you sign the organ donar agreement.. it doesn't mean JUST organs. They take whatever they want or can use. This can mean eyes, skin, tissue, bones, etc. Could be nothing left for your family to burry if you died in good health. (From an accident or something)

Not trying to dissuade anyone.. just inform you.


Tod

[b.walker5]

Here in the USA, or at least in Ohio, when you get your drivers license renewed thay ask if you want to be an organ doner. Have for as long as I can recall.

Thats the way it works here too. I signed up but the way I figure it is that by the time I die (at least by NC) nothing will be working properly anyway so there'll be nothing to donate.

[xsilerating]

Here in the USA, or at least in Ohio, when you get your drivers license renewed thay ask if you want to be an organ doner. Have for as long as I can recall.

Hey Rick;
Like DGXSER and the state of Ohio, we here in Ontario are also given donor cards - with options listed - with our license renewals, so I'm at a bit of a loss as to your 'mixed feelings on the method' of a supposed 'on the spot' decision. This is a decision you could/should have already made, on an annual basis. (Or, perhaps you're the type that throws out the inserts without first reading/perusing them.

[fredintoon]

They'd have to be desperate

to want used body parts from somebody my age. And a deal more desperate to want them from somebody the age I hope to be when I die.
That said, Organ donation should be automatic.
Unless you sign up to NOT have your body strip-mined for anything that may still be useful when you die they should simply take the parts as needed.
If you don't reckon on the afterlife, you don't care about your body once you are done with it.
If you do believe in the afterlife you get a new body in Heaven anyway.
Or if you reckon on not qualifying for Heaven, not having a full compliment of body parts after you are dead will be the least of your worries.

[Big Daddy Funk]

Politically incorrect wanted

I would not want to speak for anyone else but I'm with Fred on automatic harvesting. It dosen't make sense to me that we discard such valuable parts. If we sold our bike we wouldn't just throw the spare parts in the trash would we ? Just because we no longer have any use for them?
I do live in Ontario, and my mixed feelings were that of surprise that It was almost like saying I would not get my health card unless I made a decision immediately. If someone were to refuse donation could that info be used if they or a member of their family needed a transplant? Like many, I had filled out a donation card with my drivers license and was unaware of the additional request for a health card renewal.
On one hand it is a great idea because doctors can access your decision quickly and directly.Your family is still required to give final permission.The Privacy Act probably also prevents sharing information between government departments. That may be the reason for the new registration procedure. I do believe time is essential when harvesting organs. On the other hand I felt a little ambushed, which diminished the feeling I was doing a positive thing. I haven't changed my mind on organ donation. If someone else can use it, take it. I just think it could have been handled better.
I'm not looking for an argument on this issue but if someone out there has a differing view or concerns on organ donation I would appreciate hearing them. After all, there are few lifestyles more politically incorrect than bikers.

[Ivan]

I usually tell them I will donate my organs, unless I argue with them when they take them.

Just like anything else, any government will make everything that should be simple and mundane into a drawn out, utterly inconvenient mess, which could be solved with common sense alone.

[The Lorax]

I shouldn't / don't donate anything body parts wise. Even in my pseudo just past prime righteous physical state, any part of me that was harvested and installed into some poor soul would do much more harm than good. All my troubles are liver related and subsequently have spread throughout the rest of me. I have a congenital bleeding disorder which a new liver would fix but, it has also given the gifts that keep on giving...two different kinds of hepatitis (ain't life grand). so I figure that combined with a shade less than a pack a day smoking, I'm good for another 15 - 20 tops. Now my wife is of the opinion that I can still donate and may well as she likes to have that last word about stuff like that. so pay attention: when the lorax kicks the bucket would be a BAD time to need organs. now that I've overshared, I'm out. have a nice day and ride safe

[rover]

curious thing

In my long lifetime, I have known a few people that died a few days before the organs they needed became available, and have heard of several others.
If I ever needed a new organ, I would like to know that several are available. So this tells me that if I expect that, I should be willing to donate any of mine after death. I will not need them in heaven, or any where else I may go after I kick the bucket for the last time. Please consider donating ALL useble organs, many could enjoy a longer, more fulfilling life with them.

[The Lorax]

I don't personally care what the world does with my body after I'm gone, but any parts that come off and get used come with pathogens which will probably cause more harm that good. If those medical professional types can harvest without subjecting the recipient to the myriad of bio - toxins residing within my carcass, then by all means, I'm all for it. I'd just hate to see some part of me used to save someone's life only to find out it ends up killing them instead (I know, if I'm gone, I won't see it, but you get the point). My concerns are, in my own warped way, altruistic. Hell, if somebody really needed something, and I could live without it (kidney maybe) if the part wouldn't kill them, I'd give it to them before I die. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm not stingy, just diseased. have a nice day and ride safe

[blue giant]

I agreed to donate when I applied for my new health card and when I renewed my drivers license. I have also let my wife know that if/when I die they can take anything they want, I'll be done with them. If that helps someone live a little longer then I'm grateful to be able to help.

Paul

[Bigfoot]

I am also a donor. They are welcome to any part of me that they want. Incinerate the rest. The urn may be a little lighter but who cares.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Big Daddy,

A while back, like probably some 20+ years, there were concerns/fears about doctors, hospitals, etc., declaring someone dead when they might not have been, just so that they could harvest the organs. Nowadays, with modern analytical equipment, they can pretty well tell when a person has totally scrambled their brains from a massive impact injury, and that there would be no chance of returning to any state of functional conciousness.

As for a person's health conditions, they perform all sorts of screenings of the tissues for known contagious pathogens, and will reject those from folks with conditions like Hepatitis and such. However, they can still be used for education, experimentation, medical cadaver studies, etc.!

Believe it or not, even with fairly mature people, the eyes are a good example of useful parts, specifically the cornea...clear window of the eye, has a special layer of cells on the inside that do not regenerate, and some people have damaged corneas from injury, disease, and could still be given the gift of sight from a donated cornea.

So...aside from someone's religious beliefs, I would hope that all of them would consider organ donation as an option. The rest of me will be in ashes, whether I go to a place that's hot, or cold, or just right!
T.C.

[Big Daddy Funk]

Satisfied

So I can assume from the postings the vast majority of us have filled out organ donation cards and most importantly informed our families of our intentions. Biker generosity seems to have no limits, right down to body parts.
Curious that there are long waitng lists and people dying while waiting for a transplant. Fredintoon's automatic harvest idea would certainly solve the problem. Here in Canada the health system is funded by all the citizens. If they are all contributing to your health during your life ,the least we can do is contribute some healthy parts back. It is my understanding that North America has a borderless donation and transplant program. No passport required. If you are on top of the list with the right tissue type, you get the transplant. Anywhere in the USA or Canada.
As for my original post regarding being "ambushed" by the health dept. when I had already consented on my drivers license. I still feel it certainly could have been handled better. On reflection though, the ends can justify the means. It was a bold and necessary move and I'm suprised the government had the balls to do it. Maybe they will adopt automatic harvesting in the future.
Don't know where I'm going when I die, but I'm kinda hoping for the year round ridin' weather of South Western USA.