Will you be donating organs?

tohaltuwi

This is a timely discussion, considering longest surviving heart transplant patient in Ireland is thriving at 38 years post transplant..

I’ve done my share of promoting organ transplantation in the past and was privileged to know the late Brendan McLaughlin who survived 26 years post transplant and who appreciated every moment of his survival. Be broke records of the most risky transplant of all, lungs.

I would love to donate organs myself, but due to major health issues I cannot.however I can still donate by way of submitting my brain, majorly affected by MS , for research.

There’s always bits of us that may be surprisingly useful from cornea to heart cakes and lots else.

Iscreamkone

Not today

HeidiHeidi

I've told my family they're to offer whatever is of the remotest use to anyone. They won't be any good to me by then!

CPTM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122195611#Comment_122195611

Am I not right in thinking there is an opt out system now? So we don't have to tell anyone?

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122195635#Comment_122195635

It was proposed, but that dastardly WEF plot was spied by the ever vigilant researchers.

CPTM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122195679#Comment_122195679

Oh right. I'd better let a few people know then. Thing is I don't carry a wallet. I should put some contact details in my phone lock screen and include that I guess.

Tom Mann Centuria

My hope is I'll pop my clogs when I'm a 100, whilst in marvellous mental and physical health so my organs won't be any good, but in the unlikely event of this not transpiring I'm an organ donor.

This is it

I certainly will. My mother has benefited twice from organ donation, I'd love the opportunity to give back and donate, if possible, when I kick the bucket.

banie01

Barring a change in criteria I can't be an organ donor due to being on injectables but, I have a bit of experience with the process. Its never an easy choice to make, not out of selfishness, rather out of hope that if you just wait a little longer? Your loved one will get better, that they will be the 1 in a million miracle.

My 1st wife's organs were donated in 2007 and 1 of my younger brothers passed away after a short illness last year and his organs were also donated.

The difference in experience between both donations was marked and massively improved. The 1st time round was very ad-hoc, no real support from anybody. We did receive a letter from Beaumont shortly afterwards confirming how many people had been helped along with some cards that were anonymous.

The one from the woman who received my wife's liver stands out. She was young at 39, but also a grandmother and she thanked us for giving her the chance to see her grandchildren grow up, and to be a nana. My MiL got involved with the donor organisation and attended the mass of remembrance and other events over the years until her own death.

Fast forward to last year, when our brother was in ICU with no prospect of recovery, we approached the ICU team regarding donations. We had an ODTI coordinator meet us, do a family medical history, asked all the awkward questions in the best possible way. She also arranged to take handprints and locks of hair from our brother. On top of that they also offered counselling to the family. All little things that would have been greatly appreciated in my 1st donation experience.

The time spent in and around ICU in Cork last year and in particular the weekend of Col's death and donation, 2 other families also made the decision to donate. At times of immense personal tragedy so many families seeking to do the right thing, and to at least take one bright thing from the loss of a loved one.

TokTik

No. If I can be a living donor to family or very close friends I’d do that. Other than that I’ll be taking it with me.

eightieschewbaccy

Due to health stuff, I wouldn't be eligible. But they're free to use me for research.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122195861#Comment_122195861

You should make it known that you won't accept any if you need them.

TokTik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122195905#Comment_122195905

My GP knows I don’t want organs and do want a DNR if anything happens to me.

OscarMIlde

Absolutely. My father's liver and kidneys were donated when he died. We knew he had been in favour, he had only recently remarked that it was morally indefensible not to do it if you could. The aneurysm that led to his death came completely out of the blue. Being able to help someone else made it slightly better, as at least some good had come out of a horrible situation. I was actually surprised how much it helped the grieving process. I always thought that intellectually I would support it in the event but I was taken aback about how emotional I was about it. I still remember my mom and I being delighted when told he was eligible to donate. It was like a bright spark when we were in such a dark place.

Pauliedragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122195731#Comment_122195731

You can download a donor card app from Google play or the Apple store.

TinyMuffin

I donate an organ most weekends.

HerrKapitan

After the government fast-tracked economic migrant housing over our own homeless, I no longer trust that my organ will be on a fair list of who benefits.

So I will not be donating. I removed the code from my driving licence and will be opting out.

CramCycle

Take everything from me, I won't need them and I won't know about it. I won't lie, I had hoped to die in an awesomely spectacular fashion that means the lights will go out with no prior indication it is coming, so hopefully enough of me survives.

Psychedelic Hedgehog

I can't think of a reason why I wouldn't want to donate my organs in case of the worst. At the very least, you never know what calamity might befall you or a loved one that requires a transplant.

We all bleed the same underneath.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122196337#Comment_122196337

Well done 🙄

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122196337#Comment_122196337

That's without doubt the most pathetic excuse for not donating I've ever seen.

If it's actually true, which I somehow doubt. More like some vague attempt at political point-scoring.

francois

Yes, though my lungs, kidneys and liver may not be much use at this stage!

Iscreamkone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122196337#Comment_122196337

You can put my organs into a rescue mongrel from the pound if you like. If it can do any good - go for it. If it doesn’t do any good - so what. No harm. It’s not as if I’ll be needing them.

It’s very selfish and small minded not to donate organs after you’re gone.

witchgirl26

I will happily donate anything that's usable whenever I pass except for my eyes. I've a weird thing about that so that's a no-go for me but everything else is fair game. I mean I'm not going to be using them so why not if they could help someone. And I don't care who that someone is, as long as they medically have been assessed as needing it.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122197016#Comment_122197016

I had the same reservations in 2007 (when corneas were/could be harvested) when I donated my wife's organs. That fear of seeing her in someone else's eyes, as irrational as it is, looked large.

Currently, ODTI don't harvest corneas or eye tissue. This was shared by a Transplant coordinator last summer when we were donating our brothers organs. I'd hazard because the biggest barrier to donation was families refusing for similar fears re: their loved ones eyes.

Ezeoul

It should also be a timely reminder that organ donation is voluntary, and if someone decides to opt out, for whatever reason, that is their right, they don't have to justify it, and their choice should be respected.

People who don't want to donate typically don't get involved in discussions about donation as they get subjected to abuse, called selfish etc.

Kurooi

Naaaah selling them to make next weeks groceries

Iscreamkone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122197166#Comment_122197166

Feel free to opt out. But if you ever need a transplant then you go to the bottom of the list.

TokTik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122197303#Comment_122197303

Doesn’t work like that buddy.

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122197114#Comment_122197114

Oh that's interesting - thanks! I know my family were fully aware that in the event of anything happening me, everything else was up for grabs except the eyes. And it's on my drivers licence, I still have my original organ donor card & I have it saved on my phone.

I'm sorry for your loss, btw. My dad had wanted to be a donor but as he had cancer, it wasn't an option.

Iscreamkone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122197376#Comment_122197376

It should though.

And I’m not your buddy.

tohaltuwi

At the time of their deaths I offered my elderly parents’ corneas, they were both on board with that as it is one of the tissues that can be donated late in life once other health factors don’t dictate against it. Unfortunately neither could donate. In my father’s case because he once had bowel cancer (didn’t die of it) and died of stroke-related aspiration pneumonia, and my mother died of hospital acquired pneumonia. Because immune suppression is applied to recipient potential doners can’t have an active infection at time of death.

But it did bring staff awareness to the less usual situation of an elderly person offering tissues, and was mentioned at their funeral services to promote awareness.

Seth Brundle

For years, I donated platelets. When I started donating, I gave blood (way back in the Pelican House days). It was here that they asked me to donate platelets because I was a good match apparently. I was told that a pregnant woman in Cavan (I won't name the town) was going to receive my donation. I've no idea if this was true or if the name on the folder was shown to all donors but nonetheless, it made me feel like I was helping someone.

When I reached 100 donations (platelet donations can be done monthly (compared to quarterly for blood) and I usually gave double donations), I was invited to a fancy dinner in the Burlington. One of the speeches was by a woman who told us that she had multiple surgeries and needed several blood donations. Simply put, she would not have been there if it weren't for donors.

A number of years ago, I had a heart attack which required stenting which was done in the Mater. I met a woman there from Kerry who had recently received a heart transplant. She was sitting beside me, and although she looked understandably crap, she was chatting with me and would soon enough be going home to her husband and kids. I've no idea how she is doing now but someone gave her a second chance at life. Someone gave her kids another chance of having their mother.

Since getting my heart problems, I cannot donate platelets any more which, to be honest, was an hour or two of "me time" as much as anything else. If I could, I'd donate again today!

Will I donate my organs when I die? Why the hell wouldn't I? They'll be no use to me but may be life saving to someone else. I might help someone get to see their kids again!

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122197303#Comment_122197303

Priority for medical treatment is decided based on medical need, not on a transactional or conditional basis, which is as it should be.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122196337#Comment_122196337

Pretty sure the government doesn't decide who gets your organs🙄

They can have anything of mine that is any use at all. Knew a woman that donated her whole body to medical science, the family got the body back around 12 months later and had a ceremony then. I would opt for that, if my mother is dead before me, she wouldn't go for it.

Ezeoul

My brother enquired about donating his body and they said they have some many offering they are not adding any more at the moment.

aidanodr

Yip sure will .. my other half has had a kidney transplant since 2009 … diagnosed in 2006, on dialysis from Sept 06 to June 2009. Transplant was such a huge gift. The difference in her the day after the op in Beaumont was incredible. We are in Cork, the Renal / Heart unit in CUH is top class. I think they maybe looking at doing transplants there now also, if not already.

So for obvious reasons I would 100% encourage anyone to donate organs, it makes such a huge difference, literally a giver of life to someone else

helimachoptor

Can have everything expect for my corneas tbh.

Iscreamkone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122197675#Comment_122197675

My opinion is different to yours.

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122197782#Comment_122197782

That's allowed. It's just an opinion, after all.

Nigel Fairservice

We donated some of my mother's organs when she passed away after a brian aneurism. I know 2 people got her kidneys and 2 babies got her heart valves. I don't know anthing else other than that. Despite knowing the good it can do it's still a hard decision to make when faced with it. I think it's a question a lot of people answer yes to without really thinking too deeply about what it means.

We had a similar experience to banie01's second experience. I have a lock of my mother's hair and the handprint the organ donation team took at her bedside hangs in my living room and I see it everyday.

I still have mixed feelings about the experience. I remember the surgeons came to take my mother's organs at about 3 am. Sitting at someones bedside for the final few hours waiting for this to happen is a strange experience. You want it to end and you don't at the same time. When the surgeons arrived we had to leave and went home after being at the hospital for 2 days straight. When we got home I sat out in the back garden for a while. It was a warm night. I remember I was bothered that my mother passed away, in one sense, on a table surrounded by strangers. It's probably a silly thing to say because I know she was already gone before that but I would have liked to have been there.

I had my first child recently and I think the donation means more to me now than before. I know that our families donation did good for 2 babies and 4 parents and maybe made their lives a bit easier. The bad of the experience has been outweighed by the good.

I would donate my organs but I can't as I have multiple sclerosis. Can't donate blood either.

Goldengirl

I always wanted to donate my organs and so did my husband from the first time we talked about it , many moons ago .

He always donated blood until they didn't want it after we came back from UK .. BSE risk .

I have looked after many transplant recipients in my time as a nurse , young and old , and unfortunately people who didn't get them /in time.

But he has had cancer .And I am a diabetic and immunocompromised.

So don't think they will want us now , I am sorry to say .

They can take whatever bits of us they want for research , we have told our children

@banie01 I am glad you had a better experience after your poor brother died so suddenly .

As another poster said above hopefully it will lessen the grief in some way knowing that the person helps another to live on ?

CorneliusBrown

no, I’m afraid I wont be donating them.

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122195759#Comment_122195759

UCD faculty of medicine will enjoy the study of you :)

I'd be very agnostic and pragmatic. I have it on my phone, in the dashboard and in my wallet. If I'm gone, feel free to use any part of me for any purpose whatsoever.

Wife hopes she's gone before me 😀

Strumms

I’ve no issue with people who donate or those who don’t want to.

It’s a personal choice and I think it’s a bit poxy of anybody who decides to criticise someone or chastise someone based on their outlook is on donation.

I don’t carry a donor card. In the future who knows….

Iscreamkone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122199941#Comment_122199941

Do you think it’s fair to not want to donate your organs - but want organs donated to you if needed?

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122196337#Comment_122196337

I no longer trust that my organ will be on a fair list of who benefits.

That's very animal farm, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others'.

I'd rather anything useful be donated. I'm also thinking of signing up with one of the medical schools to donate my body in the event that my organs can't be harvested.

The alternative is decomposition or burning, why not be useful in death?

Deregos.

Carrying a donar card is a good idea and should be mandatory.

I myself have plenty of superfluous appendage to donate to anyone if they're lacking in the organ department.

DM me for details.

CorneliusBrown

what if you don’t want your organs donated but you leave your wallet at home and get hit by a car?

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122200158#Comment_122200158

Well, it depends on whether you survive or not.

If you die an autopsy will be required. Organ and body donation aren't possible after an autopsy.

If you die in hospital and are a suitable donor your next of kin will be asked to consent, they will be able to decline if they wish.

Editing to add, there isn't a non-donor card so your forgotten wallet would be irrelevant.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122200100#Comment_122200100

if it was mandatory, you wouldn’t need a card though, everyone would just be harvested at death.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122200039#Comment_122200039

I can see your point. But do I think it’s fair, hmmm probably I do ….

an example, a person with certain health issues may just not qualify to be a donor, if a person has had certain addictions would be one example, or other illnesses / health issues…. However I don’t think those people should be precluded from receiving organs… just because they can’t / don’t want to donate.