What Do You Think Of Organ Donation?

[Duncan]

Debate where I live kinda about if organ donation is wrong if you got paid for it. Heck, if someone paid me for my kidney or bone marrow or who knows, take what you need baby. What do you think of organ donation? Would the Church object to it?

Edited November 6, 2012 by Duncan

[Freedom]

Of course, it is against the law to be paid for organ donations in Canada. In some countries, it is required by law. I say donate and fight to eliminate laws that allow payment for such donations.

[Duncan]

Of course, it is against the law to be paid for organ donations in Canada. In some countries, it is required by law. I say donate and fight to eliminate laws that allow payment for such donations.

I think...they are looking to re-open that to get more people to donate. I just caught a brief clip on the TV. I could be wrong though. I don't see a problem with getting paid to donate something, you can go to The Keg courtesy of the Canadian Gov't-what could be better?!

[Calm]

Debate where I live kinda about if organ donation is wrong if you got paid for it. Heck, if someone paid me for my kidney or bone marrow or who knows, take what you need baby. What do you think of organ donation? Would the Church object to it?

I think medical costs could be paid for including time off from work for recuperation and perhaps a long term insurance policy to cover potential situations where their donation ends up doing harm...say they get in an accident and their one good kidney gets damaged, for example.

I am iffy on paying to donate straight out. It might help to a great deal those donations that are limited, but then one has the issue of those who can pay more getting taken care of while possibly those who can't pay get shorted IF there is a limited donation pool no matter what. Maybe if payment was made to a foundation and not allowed to go direct between donator and receiver, but instead one level was set, no competition, no buying of organs, but rather a compensation for those who did so if that makes sense.

I personally think organ donation should be the default position and one has to indicate when getting a license you don't want to donate then the other way around. Too many put off thinking about it until it is too late and then their relatives get to go through hell making that decision for them at a time when they should not have to think of such things.

I can't even donate blood now. . When I die though, divide me up however they want to, send my brain off to get autopsied for my neurological disorder (if they are still asking for those donations, hopefully they won't need sufferers' brains by then for their research) and burn whatever is left over and use it to fertilise a nice tree.

Edited November 6, 2012 by calmoriah

[Duncan]

I think medical costs could be paid for including time off from work for recuperation and perhaps a long term insurance policy to cover potential situations where their donation ends up doing harm...say they get in an accident and their one good kidney gets damaged, for example.

I am iffy on paying to donate straight out. It might help to a great deal those donations that are limited, but then one has the issue of those who can pay more getting taken care of whole possibly those who can't pay get shorted IF there is a limited donation pool no matter what. Maybe if payment was made to a foundation and not allowed to go direct between donator and receiver, but instead one level was set, no competition, no buying of organs, but rather a compensation for those who did so if that makes sense.

I personally think organ donation should be the default position and one has to indicate when getting a license you don't want to donate then the other way around. Too many put off thinking about it until it is too late and then their relatives get to go through hell making that decision for them at a time when they should not have to think of such things.

I can't even donate blood now. . When I die though, divide me up however they want to, send my brain off to get autopsied for my neurological disorder (if they are still asking for those donations, hopefully they won't need sufferers' brains by then for their research) and burn whatever is left over and use it to fertilise a nice tree.

good points!

[Storm Rider]

If you donate for money, it is not donating. If you are paid for it, you sold it. Donate is defined as to present as a gift, grant, or to make a contribution. I strongly support organ donation.

The vast majority of organ donations come from those who are dying. An individual who chooses to be an organ donor in life needs to make their wishes clear to their famiy. Organs come mostly from those that have had head trauma, but are declared brain dead yet are kept alive through machines. It is the individual's relatives that must choose to give up hope they will revive, that a miracle will not occur, and then donate their organs. This is not an easy decision, but it is a blessing for each person waiting for an organ.

To the best of my knowledge, in the US, the donor is not charged for the harvesting of the organs.

Live donation is something else entirely. I am against the payment for organs. Doing would create a black market, which already exists in some parts of the world, and would create a much worse situation than already exists.

[Stargazer]

The problem with paying for organ donation is similar to paying for sex. It might start out as a straight commercial exchange, but then suddenly you get into problems with provenance. Such as did that person really sell his organs? Or did someone do him in so he could harvest them? This is apparently a serious problem in the far east, where a lot of the organ donation is not truly voluntary, or that some of those selling the organs make a pittance -- or with poor medical care end up dying.

I'm a libertarian when it comes to the free market, but the organ market scares me. Keeping payment for organs illegal helps provide a disincentive to abuse of this.

But as to organ donation generally, nah, I don't see a problem with it. If you're asking would it be doctrinally OK, well, if it weren't then we couldn't donate blood either. Blood is tantamount to an organ.

And GG, I can't give blood either. In my case I spent a few years in Europe (in the Army and on my mission) during a time that later turned out to be suspicious for becoming a carrier of BSE -- mad cow disease -- because of consuming a mad cow. Oddly enough, while the Red Cross can't take my blood, if I went to Europe they'd be perfectly happy with it. I guess.

[Duncan]

I can see the black market aspect but that stuff is going on now, maybe if it was heavily regulated? I dunno! Any and all medical procedures I wouldn't consult my bishop over or any other leader as none of them are doctors

Edited November 6, 2012 by Duncan

[altersteve]

I'm all for organ donation. I don't see why the Church would object to it.

[Calm]

I can see the black market aspect but that stuff is going on now, maybe if it was heavily regulated? I dunno!

If there were enough legally available, there would be no reason for black market save for cutting costs which is stupid when it comes to medical care but perhaps might tempt some doctors and organisations looking to make money off the procedures. Would need to be handled in such a way to discourage turning it into that kind of business.

[Calm]

I'm all for organ donation. I don't see why the Church would object to it.

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1988/02/i-have-a-question?lang=eng

I am thinking of donating some organs for transplantation. Am I wrong in wanting to do so?

Cecil O. Samuelson, Jr., regional representative and physician.

Organ transplantation is one of the true medical wonders of our age. Medical science has progressed to the point that the replacement of an injured or diseased body part, such as a kidney, cornea of the eye, heart, liver, bone, bone marrow, skin, or pancreas is becoming fairly routine. Most of these tissues come from people who have arranged that they be so used following death. However, some organs—such as kidneys—can be donated to someone in need by a living family member.

As is the case with many other technological advances, questions with profound economic, ethical, moral, and religious dimensions have arisen concerning organ transplantation. And, as with many other important aspects of life, we have been counseled to study the information, make decisions, and pray for wisdom about our choices. (See D&C 9:7–9; D&C 58:26–28.)

The Church has taken no official position on organ transplants. It seems obvious, however, that organ transplantation does not affect one’s resurrection, since the organ would soon have returned to the basic elements of the earth following death anyway. Whatever happens to an organ following death, we are promised that “every limb and joint shall be restored to its body, yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost.” (Alma 40:23.)

In the meantime, tremendous blessings have come to countless thousands and their families through organ donation and replacement. Several physicians involved in transplantation have shared with me inspirational stories and letters from those who have received this special service. Families grieving from the death of a loved one have been greatly comforted by the knowledge that other lives have been saved or measurably improved through receipt of a vital organ transplant. Other families have been spared debilitating illness or death because a living family member was able to donate an organ to a loved one.

As I work with donors and recipients and witness the selfless love that is evident in this gift of life and health, I am often reminded of Peter and John’s encounter with the lame beggar as the two Apostles made their way into the temple. The lame man asked only for alms but instead was healed. To the one in need, Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee.” (Acts 3:6.)

Those who are considering donating a kidney to a loved one should find comfort in knowing that only those who meet strict criteria will be considered as donors. Because of careful screening, and because of advances in transplantation techniques, donors do not face the risk they did just a few years ago. A healthy person can donate a kidney, for example, and continue to live a normal life, sustained by the remaining kidney.

While the matter of vital organ transplantation remains a highly personal one, it deserves prayerful consideration.

Edited November 6, 2012 by calmoriah

[lithpblithh]

This is apparently a serious problem in the far east, where a lot of the organ donation is not truly voluntary, or that some of those selling the organs make a pittance -- or with poor medical care end up dying.

I'm a libertarian when it comes to the free market, but the organ market scares me. Keeping payment for organs illegal helps provide a disincentive to abuse of this.

I actually think that disallowing selling organs is the source of the problem you identify. Prohibition (always?) increases prices and shifts production away from legitimate operations into the criminal underworld.

If you legalized selling organs then many more people would sign up as "donors", the quality of the process would improve, competition and price discovery would increase and the cost would decrease.

If all prohibitions against victimless crimes were ended then a small portion of the enormous resources devoted to fighting a losing war against them would be more than enough to track down people who are killing for organs or operating sex slave rings etc.

[lithpblithh]

To anyone who might find it counter-intuitive when I say that by allowing selling organs the cost would come down, consider the following:

The most expensive transplant is the free life-saving transplant that you die without getting because the government decided to make it free.

Waiting in a government-caused line for months or years with poor health instead of recovering and getting on with your life is also extremely costly.

Look at New Jersey this past weekend. The most expensive gas is the gas the government says can't increase in price. Because it can't increase in price everyone fills up, (increase in demand) even if they won't need the gas for a week, and no one bothers to bring gas in (no increase in supply). Because the gas can't go up in price there's waiting lines that last forever and some people who need gas can't get it in time. Some people end up going on the black market and end up paying much more for gas than if the government just stayed out and let the price increase.

[bluebell]

I'm all for donating organs.

If you wouldn't turn one down if you or a loved one needed it, then i don't know how you could refuse to be a donor without being a hypocrite.

[CV75]

Debate where I live kinda about if organ donation is wrong if you got paid for it. Heck, if someone paid me for my kidney or bone marrow or who knows, take what you need baby. What do you think of organ donation? Would the Church object to it?

I understand the Church is OK with organ donation, and I think it is a moral thing to do. I think our motivation for and response to getting paid for it is the same as our motivation and response toward material things in general, and that has a spiritual basis.

[RobertAC]

I'm okay with organ donation. Who wants my Mighty Wurlitzer?

[thesometimesaint]

I'm for absolutely for donation, but absolutely against being paid for it.

[Calm]

I'm okay with organ donation. Who wants my Mighty Wurlitzer?

I was wondering when I did a search on lds.org if something about the Tabernacle organ would come up before the medical issue appeared, but their search function functioned perfectly.

When my mother decided to retire her organ, my kids really wanted it in memory of good times playing on it. Mom was certain that it wouldn't last the journey to our house so instead she tried to donate it to a local performance group. No go, don't know who finally accepted it but for awhile it looked like she was going to have to pay for the chance to donate it.....most everyone wants new and shiny apparently.

[cinepro]

What lithpblithh said.

While it's great to aspire to a society where enough organs are donated freely to meet supply, until we reach that goal, we have to realize that someone needs to decide who gets an organ and who doesn't.

This is a great podcast on the subject:

Who Decides Whether This 26-Year-Old Woman Gets a Lung Transplant?

Ashley's doctor, Marie Budev, has 124 patients on the waiting list for a lung transplant. The doctor desperately wants all of them to get transplants. But there aren't enough lungs to go around.

Scarcity is a problem with organ transplants in general. And, unlike other scarce resources, organs can't be bought or sold. So doctors have had to develop systems to figure out who should get transplants and who should wait. Coming up with a system that works well is very tricky.

If paying for organs would increase the supply, then I'm all for it. I can understand the principle behind not wanting to allow payment for organs (and the potential problems), but I can't think of any problems to the degree that would make me feel comfortable telling someone they will have to die because I don't want organs to be paid for.

Edited November 6, 2012 by cinepro

[Calm]

When it comes to donations from the dead, a reasonable exchange might be payment of medical bills up to a certain limit incurred due to whatever led to the death, thus allowing for more of the estate to be used as desired by the deceased.

[thesometimesaint]

cinepro:

Paying for it will not materially increase the supply, but it will effectively limit those who recieve the organ to those that are rich enough to afford it.

[AlexUkr]

My name is Alex, I am from Ukraine, I am 32 years old man. I don't smoke cigarettes and don't drink alcohol. My blood is O+ and I have a good health. If you need liver transplant I am ready to give part of my liver, but I want to receive a big compensation for that.

alexfromukr@yahoo.com

alexfromukr@yandex.ua

P.S. This is not a joke and I am not a scammer or cheater.

[volgadon]

My name is Alex, I am from Ukraine, I am 32 years old man. I don't smoke cigarettes and don't drink alcohol. My blood is O+ and I have a good health. If you need liver transplant I am ready to give part of my liver, but I want to receive a big compensation for that.

alexfromukr@yahoo.com

alexfromukr@yandex.ua

P.S. This is not a joke and I am not a scammer or cheater.

A good thing, then, that my wife has a Ukrainian degree in jurisprudence.

[MiserereNobis]

I'm okay with organ donation. Who wants my Mighty Wurlitzer?

You don't happen to have a Hammond B3, do you?

[bcuzbcuz]

In Canada being an organ donor is stamped on you driver's license. In Sweden we carry an organ donor card. I just hope I'm actually dead before they start harvesting. Nah, on second thought, at my age, help yourself, most of me probably doesn't work all that well..