I heard Mark Belling talking about this a week or so and intended to blog a bout it, but it slipped my feeble mind, but I had my memory jogged, so here we go.
Illinois lawmakers are thinking about making organ donation binding, meaning that it is you that makes the decision, not a grieving loved one at an awful moment in their lives. As it stands now, in I believe the entire country except for Pennsylvania, you can sign your drivers license and or sign up for a registry of organ / tissue donors, but it really isn’t you that get’s the final decision. Your next-of-kin has the final say on whether it is allowed or not.
This is a huge burden to place upon someone that just found out that you have died, or they may be dealing with a decision to remove you from life support. To lump this decision on them at that time has always seemed cruel to me and I would hate to be a doctor that has to come to the family to discuss this, it’s got to be horrible!
This legislation will remove that burden from the grieving family and allow you to give this final gift to someone in great need. So often, a persons wishes are not carried out because the decision is thrust upon someone that may not be thinking clearly, or may not even know that it was your desire to donate.
On a slightly off topic and personal angle here, I do ask that if you wish to donate at the time of your death, let your family know your wishes. It may be hard and even a bit ghoulish at the time, but tell them that you want to give the gift of life to someone, or in your death, you want to improve the life of another needy person. There are many people that need transplants, as of now, there are almost 87,000 people on the organ transplant waiting list…Including a friend of mine that is in need of a liver. I’m thinking of you Johnny Bro!
For those that are not sure if you want to donate, think about how you would feel if your child were sick and needed a transplant to save their lives. You would be begging for someone to give this final gift. I hope that when my time comes, I am able to help another person, or in many cases, several people since several organs and tissues can be harvested and used to help others. It’s the right thing to do.
To read more about the Illinois case, please check this article, then sign your license and let your loved ones know your intentions so your last wish can come true.
Lawmakers study making organ donation binding
