Healthcare in the US is run for profit. From 2020 estimates, they charge $1.6 million for a heart transplant. $1.3 million to transplant a pair of lungs, $880 thousand for a liver, and $440 thousand for a kidney. This is what for profit hospitals charge patients while giving your next of kin nothing for the organs that made it possible.
They don’t pay you for your organs. They will still bill your estate for any care other than the organ removal despite your generosity.
I would happily be an organ donor in a country with a non-profit healthcare system. But because of how heathcare is run in this country, I would rather my organs be left to rot.
No.
My mom got double brain aneurism. Had her head cut open to put clamps on the leaking arteries.
Slipped into a coma, few days later doctor came in to convince us for prepping her for organ donor, dad said it was too early.
Another few days later doctors came in being really rude that all she was good for was organ donor. Had a heated conversation with my dad who got tired and said “fck off doctors”.
Few days later she woke up. After revalidation she has a healthy life, this was 37yrs ago, she still lives, she is 71.
My dad told my awake mum and since I was underaged opted me out for organ donor. Needles to say, I am reluctant to opt myself back in.
Optional read: aftermath of the aneurism is that the part of the brain to process visual data was damaged. Other parts of her brain took that role but is not as effective. Her depth perception any further that 10m is gone. She has no vertical peripheral processing, so she has to tilt her head up or down to recognize what she noticed i’ her peripheral, one cannot imagine this seeing something but unable to recognize until you point your head at it :) in the end, very good outcome.
Damn that’s double fucked. What a disappointing story. I’ve still got myself down for organ donation because it’s more likely to be done in good will than not, but that’s a very sad story.
Do people pay for organ transplants where you are? I wonder if it’s not necessarily altruism but money that is pushing the doctor’s hand to jump the gun.
No people do not pay, it is a national waiting list of first come first go. I live in Belgium, mom’s doctors were from France (specialists). We are supposed to be at the top of free and good health care. So this did not happen in some back lawsless country. (don’t mean this patronizing)
That’s like donating to wikipedia, you think you’re doing a good thing but they reveal pretty quickly how big of a mistake that actually was.
Twin.
I wish I could properly state the right of first sale he has, given it’s his DNA (well, he has mine, anyway).
Fun fact: organs donated between perfect twins have no short- or long-term rejection issues. So unlike a regular donation that prolongs life for a decade or two, if he can drug me and steal my kidneys in sleazy Mexican motel, it’s a permanent fix.
Hell, when I go, maybe he’ll take a spare kidney or pancreas or something, and just, you know, hook them up. Totally fine with me.
Imagine taking everything. Splice both kidneys in there and get that ultra pure blood. Climb Mount Everest with no supplemental oxygen using a second set of lungs. Four nuts.
If I had a twin, he’d have to watch his back
That went unexpectedly dark.
I thought it was sweet
Why not both?
Darksweet. New fiction genre just dropped
Actually, from experience, this is how I would describe the humour of queer people I know.
Yes I am registered, because I ride motorcycles and I won’t need my organs if I’m dead.
- of course.
- i’ll be dead and won’t need them while others might. how selfish of me not to give them over
I like the system in Singapore. Organ donation is mandatory, though you can complete a form to opt out. If you’re on the opt-out register, you have a lower priority to receive organ transplants. Fair is fair.
I feel like Singapore should be the gold standard of how to do most things that don’t involve the justice system or surveillance. They seem to do most things right. Or maybe I’m just getting a golden picture? Lol
They pay their government leaders really well, which I think is kind of interesting.
Yes I am. As for why, my organs will save peoples lives,
I was already a donor before my sister died but it really solidified my stance when she saved three people’s lives with her kidneys and liver. They needed it more than the crematorium needed them.
Yes, definitely.
I received a live donor kidney transplant over a decade ago, and because of that, my quality of life drastically improved, and I lived long enough to meet my kid and my nieces and nephews.
I’ve got complex medical issues, so my organs might not be any good, but they’re going to be available when I’m gone.
In Austria you have to register to NOT be an organ donor. So we have about 99% donors (after brain death). I am a donor too, as I neither care about my body once I am dead nor bother to register for anything.
Throwing this post out there for a bit of visibility and discussion.
For me, I just registered 5 minutes ago. Idgaf what they use my body for, as long as someone learns something it’s a net positive at no expense to me.
So if a necrophiliac uses your dead body to “learn better techniques” you’re cool with it?
As the great Frank Reynolds once said “Fill me up with cream, turn me into a cannoli, make a stew out of my ass. What’s the big deal? Bang me, eat me, grind me up into little pieces, throw me in the river. Who gives a shit? Ya dead, ya dead.”
Frank is truly a poet.
Shame I won’t be around to share in the experience
Techniques to be a better lover? 🤔 For who?
Yes, I don’t see why not. What else am I gonna do with my organs when I’m dead?
As a very strong believer in Danny DeVito’s quote, “When I’m dead, just throw me in the trash!”, if any medical party is even remotely interested in dumpster diving for my parts when I’m done with them, they can have 'em. Better than throwing them in a box and taking up land in a cemetary. The less of my remains uselessly taking up space on this planet after death, the better. If I get my way upon my demise, anything they don’t take is going into the incinerator anyway.
Sounds like a Frank Reynolds quote!
No, I’m one of those weird people that because my family moved to the UK when I was little in the late 80s for work for a year I’m under risk of mad cow disease and none of us can donate blood or organs. Learned that the sad way when trying to give blood in college, like half a dozen random things that can disqualify you that you might not realize.
You can donate your organs, if you die of a head injury. You cannot donate tissues like bone, skin, or corneas, because those are considered “life enhancing.” Donated tissue has a similar restriction to donated blood, so you’re right about that bit.
Organs like the kidneys, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, and stomach are “life saving” and don’t have any restrictions. When you die, you’ll be evaluated for any potential donation, and if you are a candidate for donating organs, someone will come talk to your family about it. Talk to your family about what you would want.
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Jesus, that’s awful
Here in Belgium everyone is a donor unless you register that you don’t want to donate your organs.
Same default settings in France, although your organs can only be used for transplant. Using them for teaching and practicing in medical school still needs your explicit (prior) consent.
Up until now here in Germany we had a “system” that was a paper(!) card you put in your wallet if you were ok with donating your organs. That’s obvioisly not an ideal system and Germany has far to few donors. We now moved to an online system and being Germany it’s (as far as I’ve heard, I haven’t tried it yet - which might be a sign that this is not going to be a great solution) is super complicated and convoluted. So basically even worse than the piece of paper in your wallet (seems impossible but for Germany business as usual when it comes to anything digital).
Personally this would be one of the very few things were I would be ok with something being opt-out instead of opt-in but I don’t see that happening.
Apparently the paper card is still valid, there’s the online thing and you can also put it in you advance directive(? that sounds made up, I mean "Patient*innenverfügung):
https://www.organspende-info.de/organspendeausweis-ja-oder-nein/
