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| Organ donation | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 4 2007, 01:01 AM (652 Views) | |
| Post #1 Jul 4 2007, 01:01 AM | Croneda |
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| Post #2 Jul 4 2007, 02:36 AM |
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| Tons of gray areas. My concern for putting it on my drivers license is that they won't do all they can to save me. So my husband knows that if I'm brain dead and am on life support he can pull the plug, then my organs can be donated. But I don't know how good they are. |
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| Post #3 Jul 4 2007, 07:41 AM |
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Well this post won't be controversial at all. I heard that call and thought the decision would be a struggle until I heard Dr. Laura's advice. I had an "of course" moment, and realized the Dr. Laura was, as usual, spot on. The man's kids are a huge factor, but the key is that a parent never risks her child's like to save her own. That works the exact opposite way. I won't even disagree with Croneda's post. I have gone through the exact same thinking. I have nothing in writing, but have instructed Wendy and the kids that, should I end up vegetative, that everything is absolutely up to them. I trust their judgments. I don't trust a doctor who might be motivated to think my life is hopeless just because my organs can save so many others. |
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| Post #4 Jul 4 2007, 11:37 AM |
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Croneda, you don't say if you and your hubby plan to have children in the future or not, but I am sure that had you asked Dr. L. she would have asked you that question, and had the answer been yes, we do plan to have children someday, then she would have treated your dilemma the same as she did that caller, as though the children already existed. As for myself, I feel pretty much the same way. I would like to donate my organs (although I am EXTREMELY nearsighted, my eyes do still work!) but not until there is no hope for me. |
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| Post #5 Jul 5 2007, 04:15 PM |
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I'm not sure there is a black and white answer. It will be very personal for most. That being said, I would not want to base a decision like that simply on the risk factor to my own safety or health. You do what needs to be done. If there are other options, great. But, while my responsibility to my wife and children is greater than that to my parents, it does not relieve me of it. I would give up the kidney, or whatever the case may be. My parents sacrificed more than kidneys to give me the life that I had.. the life that I now have. To deny them what they first gave me is not honoring to them. |
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| Post #6 Jul 5 2007, 05:40 PM |
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I think Dr. Laura's point is not that a child should not be willing to give up a kidney for a parent, but that the parent should not ask, and, even more strongly, the parent should not permit the child--even an adult child--to give up a kidney. If my parents were still alive, I would indeed offer a kidney if either needed one. If I needed one, I would very absolutely prohibit either of my children from giving me one. |
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| Post #7 Jul 5 2007, 06:12 PM |
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I'd offer it unconditionally. If my parents had my same morals, they would refuse. In reality, my mother, ever the martyr
:D (She was the stereotypical Jewish mother, although she wasn't Jewish! So much for stereotypes.), would've refused. My father, I suspect, would've accepted. Both of them would've acted in the way they thought was right. And, I'd've respected each's decision--whatever that decision was. |
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| Post #8 Jul 5 2007, 10:00 PM |
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Croneda - On the issue of Organ donation, my wife thinks it is a good thing in the abstract. However, if it were my organs in question, I believe whole heartedly that if given the choice, she would never allow the doctors to 'unplug' me in order to harvest my organs, regardless of my wishes. It would be purely irrational and emotional, which would be understandable. However, in situations like that I would want my own wishes to be followed. If it were my parents and they needed my kidney, the discussion would be long and probably difficult and I doubt she would want me to do it. But again, I think ultimately she would yield to my judgment... but not being in that situation, I can't say for sure. |
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| Post #9 Jul 6 2007, 01:15 PM |
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| Exactly. The role of loving child would force me to offer. The role of loving parent would force me to forbid. This is a seeming paradox. But, if both parties hold Dr. Laura's values (and mine) in this regard, the way it plays out is an analog of many civil interactions. In this case the child offers and the parent refuses. The child then defers to the parent. The fact that a person would (and sometimes should) refuse charity does not mean it shouldn't be offered to them. |
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| Post #10 Jul 14 2007, 08:03 PM | theboyzmom |
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I was looking over these posts and I think we need to clarifiy a couple of things - a persistant vegitative state is not the same as a sudden brain death - many people in a PVS are not eligible to donate organs as the family has kept them alive for so long trying to "save" them. Think Terry Shiavo - regardless of your thoughts on her (which is a whole different issue) she was not an organ donor for most of her organs due to her long term health issues. A sudden brain death is not known at the time of the treatment of the physician - unless it is obvious like brain matter all over the place. All efforts are made to treat all patients that come into the ER. But without the long term effects of repeated infection, dehydration, medications and general health deteriation - a sudden death gives the opportunity to use all or most organs. As for living donors - I think that it should be more common and open than it is now. But then again, I think that people willing to donate to strangers should be paid - everyone else gets paid in the donation process - the doctor, the hospital ect. Additionally, there is much less black market for things that are available on the open market. But should a parent ask a child for an organ. Absolutly not. A parent has had the opportunity to live to whatever age they are - the child has not - no matter if that child is a child or an adult. the parent is always older. |
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| Post #11 Jul 24 2007, 03:04 AM |
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I almost forgot- I saw this story the other day, and it reminded me of this thread. Organ donation chain Eventually eight people, and possibly far more, will be saved because of the marriage of good will and medical technology. |
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