What If the Tables Were Turned-organ Donation

This topic is so near and dear to my heart. I've mentioned my daughter many times on here. At age 16, she received the heart of a 12 year old boy who died in an ATV accident. That boy had told his parents 2 weeks prior to his death that he wanted to be an organ donor. Isn't that a chiller? Everyone in my family and extended family have talked about this issue and are in agreement to be donors. Honestly though, if one said no, and it was up to me - I probably would go against their wishes. That is how strong I feel about it.

I have directions that I am to be an organ donor if possible, but I would never consent for a family member if they specifically requested they did not want to be a donor.

And THANK YOU for a change in topic. Couldn't read one more of those today :)

I strongly believe in organ donation - I'm not going to be using them anymore - so why not give someone else a chance at a better life?

IF my family did not believe in organ donation - I would respect their wishes. It would be hard - but that's THEIR choice. No one should pressure them into it.

My best friend's religion does not allow for blood transfusions...even if it meant saving their life...don't like - but respect their choice.

It's hard to imagine being in that situation because everyone in my family is registered to be organ donors, but I think I would have to respect the individual's wishes even if I didn't agree with them.

I would have to respect their wishes.

I'm an organ donor, but if it was someones wish not to donate, I'd honor it. I think everyone is my family is big on being a donor, I don't know of anyone who wouldn't want to give... I honestly am thinking about giving my whole body too, being a cadaver so research can be done. The one thing my sister who's in the medical field told me, is that they hardly keep the whole body together... They usually cut your arms off, and send that to a research school, or leg, I would want them to keep my whole body together...

Of course I can't say for SURE, but I would like to think that I would honor my loved one's wishes and not donate.

My hubby and I have talked about it. I want my organs donated; he does not.

If a loved one talked about it constantly and how they did not want their organs donated, I probably wouldn't do it. However, if they just didn't check off a box on their drivers license or checked off a box on some paperwork, I'd probably donate the organs.

I am a donor - everyone in my family that I know is a donor - I honestly do not know anyone (who I should know that info on) that is not a donor, we all agree that it is the right thing to do. So, if someone came into my life that was not an organ donor I would respect their wishes just like I would expect them to respect mine.

I have registered as an organ donor.So I would honor what someone else wanted.

honor and respect are big to me

I believe you absolutely honor the wishes of the deceased. It would be a shame, in the scenario you described, but yes, you must honor the wishes of the deceased. Otherwise, I fear you'd be haunted by the decision *you* made.

All of my family are card-carrying organ donors. My ex told me that he did not want his organs donated - he believes that he will need them in his next life. I would have respected his wishes - his body, his right to say what should be done with it.

I am not, and will not be an organ donor. (There are real reasons behind this, that I don't think for the purpose of this question, I need to defend.) Anyway, everyone in my family knows this. (My husband also will not be one.) They don't need to agree with it. Lat time I checked, it is MY body, and MY last wishes. They respect, that it's MY decision, for MY body. I would respect someones wishes for their body, even if I didn't agree with it. Just because I'm dead, does not mean my wishes for my body go out the window.

Their organs, their say. Everyone in my family wish to donate so it isn't really an issue for me but if one of them decided that they didn't want to donate, I wouldn't insist that their organs be harvested.

When my dad was on life support, my family had a very bad experience with IOPA (Indiana Organ Procurement Association). After a heart arrythmia, IOPA essentially stood over his bed with an intern waiting to do corena test after cornea test as quickly apart as allowed so that they wouldn't miss the exact second when he reached brain death (the point at which they could harvest the organs from his body while machines keep the blood moving). What was already a horrible, horrible experience was made even more horrible by the callousness of the organ procurement representatives. My dad never actually reached brain death, and they were unable to harvest his organs. However, I will never forget how they practically stood over the bed as he lay in a coma (and discussing it too). My mom had nightmares about it for months afterwards. Yes, I would absolutely respect the wishes of anyone who said they did not want to donate. Likewise, I would respect the wishes of those who do.

Even though I do not know one person that would refuse to donate. I do know there are some religions that do not believe it in it.

I would ALWAYS honor their wishes.. I would also hope I had actually heard from them recently, like within the last 10 years to verify it is still their wish not to donate.. Maybe they would have changed their minds since they had originally said or signed not to donate. .

I've talked to my family about MY wishes and they've told me about theirs. My family believes you don't need to take anything with you to the grave, so what can be used, let it save a life. A cadaver liver saved our friend's life and a cornea transplant will let another friend see her babies clearly for the first time in their whole lives. Not receiving a heart in time meant my SIL and late BIL buried their firstborn when he was just 4.

At this point, nobody who I would have a say about doesn't want to be a donor. But those are discussions to have with the person long before the time comes. Ultimately, I would hope that my DH and mother would respect my wishes to help someone, though my goal is to wear everything out myself first.

If someone was strongly against donation, I'd tell him/her to make a living will and put someone else in charge of that vote for the doctors, thereby respecting them, but not making the call that I might struggle with.

Edit to add: If someone was lurking, I'd find out how to remove them. Harassing the nearly dead is disrespectful to the patient and the family.

I know many people who've had organs donated. I have a friend who is at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC right now with her husband getting cleared for him to donate one of his kidneys to her - the surgery is 10 days from now.

Ultimately, the person who is there to sign the papers once the loved one passes away gets to make the final decision. All I can say is make sure that your living will, health care proxy and any other wishes are in writing. Most hospitals provide about 9 thousand pages of documents upon admission to the hospital - and include organ donation paperwork. Of course, upon emergency admission it's not practical...

The same holds true for funeral wishes. My MIL who hardly stepped foot into church all of her life has made her wishes known that she wants a full Catholic mass done for her funeral. She's been in a nursing home for years and there are few friends left - we expect that when the times comes there will be less than 20 people at her funeral. My husband is one of 3 kids and they are split on whether or not they intend to honor her wishes. I just stay as far out of it as I can... I can say taht I intend to honor my mother's wishes but she was always in her chruch and it would be a huge surprise to me if any of my sibilng objected even though most of them don't agree with my mom's religious beliefs.

If my husband, children, or parents do not want their organs donated then I'll honor their wishes. I'm vigorously supportive of organ donation and believe it to be an incredible blessing. Luckily, it's something that the Catholic Church supports (found that through the Vatican's web site). Basically, a gift that can grant so many people their lives through the sacrifice of a body that is no longer needed is an amazing and generous gift. I can't imagine that it would seen as anything but selfless and the last real good that someone can do on the Earth.

I am completely support organ donation. I have seen TONS of your people get a new chance at life because someone donated their lungs. I think it is selfish not to donate.

All that being said... that is my personal belief. I would never force my beliefs/wishes on my deceased loved one. If they were against donation, I would discuss it with them while they were alive, but I would not force my beliefs on them in death.