Having been in the donation field, I’d have to say that until Americans are willing to openly acept donation as the norm there may be little that changes donation rates. Many other countries have a natural assumption that an individual is a donor unless they specifically opt out. Here we have an opt-in system.

It has been my experience that, whether registered as donor or not, it is the very rare case that a family will go against an individual’s wishes if known. Acute grief and trauma can make for very stressful times and knowing somehow some good can come of an unforseen tragedy can bring some measure of comfort.

Again, thank you for your interest and participation. Feel free to drop by Canis Beach, search for either Zeke Yoshikawa or me, and/or join the group. We look forward to continuing the discussion.

Irukandji Piek

Lifesharers sounds like a terrible idea. There must be better ways to encourage people to become donors than making them live in fear that they won’t receive an organ unless they join one particular group.

I don’t know a single person that would find the kidney thieves bathtub in bad taste, taking in account the reason for it: creating awareness for the huge shortage of organ donors. Even my uncle, who has a brand new kidney but still fights a tough battle every day, and will probably die way too young for his age, would find it hilarious. He would still find it hilarious on his deathbed. But maybe because he does have a sense of humor.

Taken out of this context, yes, indeed even I would find this bathtub in bad taste.

My advise is the same as Reg’s: grow a humour gland, you desperately need one.

I want to share something completely different, but in the same context, that might be interresting:

A little while ago, here in the Netherlands, a television show aired, (my memory needs replacing too, I forgot the name of the show: anyone wanna donate some memory to me?)
that was so much discussed in the media in advance, and even the government took a look into it, to see if they could somehow prevent it from airing as it was seen as a very bad idea:

The idea of the show, which was set up similar to shows like Idols and America’s next top model, was the following:

A donor offered an organ, and out of several contestants, one would be chosen who would recieve that kidney, trough the possibility of people calling in to vote, and in the end, based on that and several question rounds and whatnot, the donor would select one person to recieve her organ.

The fact that this just went around the huge waiting lists we have here in the Netherlands, as well as the nature of the show, them giving away a lifesaving organ like it was a dishwasher won in a gamesshow, caused quite the discussion in the entire country. The result, a huge number of vieuwers.

I personally didn’t watch it, as I didn’t want to see someone deciding on life and death, brought onto television as a fun gamesshow, and simply going over the heads of all those pations who desperately needed what they so lightheratedly gave away, and they had to wait possibly years for it.

But, at the end of the show, when they would announce the final winner, the host turned to the camera and revieled it was all one big hoax, the donor as well as the patient contestants were all hired actors, and it never was meant to give away an actual organ. The whole show was set up simply to draw attention to the huge waitinglists of several years for all sorts of organs, and the enourmous shortage of donors.

It worked, the number of people giving themselves up as a potential donors was heartwarming. The actual numbers I don’t remember, but they’re not really important.

The whole show was in very bad taste, not quite like a kidney thieved bathtub, but still the whole country spoke shame of it… Untill the very last minute.

And it did exactly what it was meant to do, just like this bathtub: draw attention to an enourmous problem.

I like this bathtub, cause of it doing exactly what it should do, in this very context. And I love the people who started this group, and I will certainly be joining it.

While I also disagree with the concept of giving first to those who are willing to give as well, the idea of organ donation is to save those whom we are able to save, meaning doctors make their selections based on the likelihood of survival …. the above quote is actually an untrue statement Prok.

A heart transplant recipient can still go on to later donate lungs, kidneys, bone marrow, eyes, even his/her entire body to medical research. Even an unhealthy individual who may not be able to immediately save lives through organ donation can still have an impact on future medicine by allowing the medical community to use him/her after death for the purposes of research and teaching.

Help everyone even if they won’t help others.

You’re a secret socialist, I can tell.

Americans have a check-off option on their drivers’ licenses to donate organs. Since a lot of people die in car crashes, it makes good sense. And people carry it as ID even if they aren’t driving.

I know people who wouldn’t find the poster funny, maybe because they got transplants and died anyway. Oh well.

I also have to disagree with Prok 100% about the kidney thieves poster which is as stated a “fun Second Life twist”. It is a known urban legend with no truth to it, but is a very helpful tool in getting peoples attention and starting conversations on organs and those who need them etc. As the uncle of a kidney recipient (was an unknown donor as none of us was a good match) I can say without a doubt that she would find the poster hilarious, in fact she would probably buy the prop. It is great tool to get the subject out there.

So to wrap up, Dave don’t be such a tool, and Prok don’t be such a drama queen and get a sense of humor(sorry don’t think they have transplants for that, need to get it on your own), having been in the hospital ward with organ recipients I can tell you they have a lot better one than you.

And finally to Irukandji Piek and Zeke Yoshikawa keep up the good work. I know in Canada we all have a health care card (which you should carry with you) where you can check off if you want to donate but I am guessing its not that simple in the USA.

Dave, your plan is really coercive. Medical decisions have to be based on medical need, not altruism. And a person whose own organs have been transplanted isn’t going to be a good candidate for medical donation of organs, anyway. So that was stupid.

There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage — give organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.

Giving organs first to organ donors will convince 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.

Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is 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 http://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.