Thursday, June 10, 2010

Mandatory organ donation?

Recently I wrote about pending legislation in Springfield that would require you to donate organs after you die, unless you "opt out".

So I asked this question in a survey, "Should you be required to donate your organs after you die?"

The answers?

Yes - 89 (53%)
No - 78 (47%)

If this legislation should pass and be enacted into law, you would have the right to take yourself out of the category of required donation. But you would have to act.

I'm all for donation of organs, but I personally don't agree with the requirement for a person to do so unless he chooses not to.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

If we're going to presume people are organ donors unless they opt out, we should also give people a reason to NOT opt out. Donated organs should be allocated first to those who haven't opted out. People who opt out of organ donation should go to the back of the transplant waiting list. The United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the national organ allocation system, has the power to make this simple policy change. No legislative action is required.

Americans who want to donate their organs to other registered organ donors don't have to wait for UNOS to act. They can join LifeSharers, a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at www.LifeSharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.

Giving organs first to organ donors will save more lives by convincing more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.

David J. Undis
Executive Director
LifeSharers