Organ Donation

[toffeejelly]

I have just read a wee story about a young girl with Leukemia who has just weeks to find a suitable bone marrow donation and it got me thinking about organ donation.

Have you signed up to donate your organs or is it something you would consider? I know it is now mandatory now in England unless you opt out but it's not mandatory in Scotland until March 2021.

I would love to become a bone marrow donor but I can't because of my Colitis

 

[SarahGard83]

My beautiful little sister passed away very suddenly back in 2006. She was just 19 years old and decided when she was 12 that she wanted to carry an organ donation card. Both my parents were on the register so they signed her up as well. In her death my sister saved the lives of 4 people one of which was a 3 day old baby girl. We've been able to meet with the lady that received one of her kidneys and have formed a lovely friendship with her.

 

[Gym&Tonic]

I know a teenage girl who is waiting on an organ donation and who’s quality of life is getting worse all the time, especially now because of COVID. She’s not left her home since March. So yes, I would happily donate my organs. Its been opt out for a few years here in Wales.

 

[SavvyBee]

I’ve been on the organ donation register since I was 18, I used to be for everything apart from my corneas but have changed that in recent years and now happy for any useful parts to go to someone in need. I fully support the opt-out system but do feel it should have been / should be better publicised - not that I want to encourage people to opt out but I do feel it slipped in fairly under the radar and I feel people really should have a choice and save a lot of upset / family fall outs should something happen.

 

[Gembo]

I was an organ donor and of course they’ve now made it opt out instead of in which I fully support I’d be more than happy for my organs to help someone else live after I’ve passed

 

[BettyCrocker]

I’ve been a registered organ donor since I was 18 and would be more than happy to donate whatever can be used to help others in the event of my death. No point in it being buried or burnt with me if it can save someone else’s life.

 

[Mrs Cucumber]

I've been a registered organ donor since I got my driving licence and am currently researching how to donate my eggs.

@SarahGard83 sorry for the loss of your sister, I think it's wonderful your family have a relationship with the lucky lady though xx

 

[hnoz]

I've been registered since I first got my license when I was about 17. I am so glad they have changed the system to be opt out rather than opt in. The amount of people who would take an organ if they needed but find an excuse to not be on the list is insane.

 

[Platypusfattypus]

I've always been a registered organ donar. My husband is too. We have signed up our children when they were little. Now two of them are teens we have had the conversation with them and they have both said they want to be on the register.

 

[Countrybumpkingirl]

I am a registered donor but only for a small number of organs due to damage from long term medical conditions. I wish I could give blood but being type 1 diabetic it will never happen sadly

 

[Boredofthegram]

I’ve always been a registered donor. My mum had renal cancer and lost a kidney and her remaining one doesn’t function fully so she’ll likely need a transplant in the future.

 

[hrh89]

Always been on the organ donation list for as long as I can remember. I could never not be. I don’t understand people that won’t do it but would obviously accept help if it came to it. Didn’t they make it the law that you now have to remove yourself from the list rather than sign up? I think that’s a better way to do it.

 

[super grateful]

Yes! Organ donation is something I am very passionate about and an area I want to further my career in / educate people about.

I am a nurse in a neurosciences intensive care unit so unfortunately care for many patients who end up donating their organs. It really does bring a lot of families closure and comfort - I can advocate for this myself as my parents donated my brother’s organs when he passed away at the age of 7. Every year we celebrate him knowing that he did a wonderful thing in the final hours of his life and gave multiple families an unbelievable gift.

The specialist organ donation nurses I work alongside are absolutely fantastic and are so kind, knowledgable and specialised - they organise everything when it comes to donating. Families really are not under any stress or pressure beyond deciding “yes or no”and the professionals run numerous tests to decide what organs can and cannot be donated. You would be surprised what can be donated even after some people’s past medical history - every individual is different and it is a very thorough process.

Also despite it becoming ”mandatory”, it never actually will be. The NHS will never enforce that, they can’t risk being seen to have “stolen organs from a family’s loved one” etc so even if you’re worried about not opting out etc don’t worry, nothing will ever be forced. It’ll never be an inhumane system and will still require next of kin’s consent.

 

[Youre a wizard Harry]

Yes I’ve been on it since I was around 14, I remember my mum telling me about it and I signed up, it never crossed my mind not to. On the bone marrow register too

 

[Medusah80]

I would consider donating my organs.Tried to donate my eggs two years ago as there is not a lot of black egg donors sadly I couldn’t go ahead because of low amh .

 

[chocolate choux]

I was on the register before it became opt out. I didn’t see the point in my organs rotting away with me, and like others have pointed out I’d obviously take an organ if I needed to so it’s only fair

Would love to donate blood too but (1) I’m always anaemic and (2) the donation sessions are so infrequent and always fully booked up months in advance (which is good thing really!)

 

[ClockworkDolly]

I am on the Organ Donor register. I am not going to need them when I'm dead, but someone else will.

 

[BasilRathbon]

I too have signed up to the organ donor register so, in the event of my death someone else will get my old Bontempi.

 

[Hello Kitty]

I have Crohn's and have weekly immunosuppressant injections and have had blood transfusions in the past so I defintely cannot give blood. I would have no problem donating organs but I'm not sure if I can.

 

[ChampagneBox]

Don’t shoot me but before it was made mandatory I opted out, I don’t know it just doesn’t feel right for me to share my organs, although in recent years I’m perhaps thinking a bit differently and might opt in. I have signed up to give blood though, I’m happy to do all the blood I can