I was listening to the radio this morning while I drove my daughter to school and the guy was talking about organ donations and the way they do it in Spain. Apparently, in Spain organ donors are assumed unless they specifically specify otherwise which is the reverse from the way it works here in the US. In California, and I think most if not all states, one has to specifically designate that they are willing to be an organ donor on their driver's license, otherwise, they won't be considered as one. I'm wondering if we shouldn't change it to be like Spain's law where one can specify they don't want to be considered, but otherwise they would be. Given the current need for organs it might help some. Nobody likes to think about dying and it may be that putting that organ donor sticker on their license is uncomfortable, but short of religious reasons, I don't understand the objections people would have to being a donor. Perhaps we could make it easier for people to become donors by assuming that's what they would want to do unless they specify otherwise? Whatcha all think?

I feel kinda silly that I never thought about this when I put the sticker on my card, actually. It's so incredibly practical and beneficial!

I'm all for changing it so that you have to specify not wanting to donate your organs rather than the other way around. I agree, Aquilla, that I cannot think of any other reasons outside of religious not to donate your organs after death. And while I had no trouble signing my organs away upon reception of my license, I can see where some people might avoid doing the same for fear of acknowledging their own mortality.

To do it as Spain does, however, would prevent us from having to confront our certain fate while simultaneously assisting others in avoiding an uncertain, but clearly unappealing, fate. Everybody has to die at some point, but not everybody has to die right now.

PS: if you haven't done it yet, I would strongly encourage everybody without qualms to take the appropriate steps to have themselves listed as an organ donor. I've had plenty of friends who simply put it off and put it off... but putting it off not only reduces your chances of doing it, but also reduces somebody elses lifetime...

Sounds like a good idea, in general, but I can see some objections to it. Some family members might object, even if the deceased had no objection -- then it becomes a question of who has the right to decide -- the state or the family. How about strongly encouraging everybody to make the choice (when an adult) one way or the other? Maybe it could be required that you make some kind of choice when getting a driver's license -- check off yes or no.

That's kind of the way it works in California already, Victoria. When they send you your license, they send a sticker along with it that you can attach to your license granting permission to harvest your organs in the event of your death, but still alot of people don't attach that sticker, and I'm not really sure why. Some people I know who haven't that I have asked have basically told me they never thought about it. I guess people don't generally think about their own mortality

I think that adopting Spain's law, or at least considering it and opening it up to public discussion would be a useful thing and might save some lives. Hmmmm.... I wonder if something like that would be eligible for a public referendum. Have to check into that.

I am registered as an organ donor on my license. I made that choice when I was 16, but since working in a hospital I have some reservations.
Paramedics have admitted to me that they might be less inclined to resuscitate a person who is an organ donor, if he is older or in very critical condition. It makes me a little queasy to think about all of my vitals being kept functioning for hours to harvest my organs. Anyway, I have remained an organ donor (I haven't had it removed on my license), but I don't know if I would make the same choice now.

I am also an organ donor and a friend of mine raised this (chilling) scenario to me. Apparantly, the medical community does take such things into account.

I am opposed to the state claiming "rights" over someone's remains. If they want to make the decision (as I have), then it is up to them. The rights of the body parts should not default to the government.