Organ Donation

Organ donation: The government want to make t compulsory for all to donate their organs upon death, unless they opt out, or their family say no. This could certainly get interesting; especially given most people rarely discuss their wishes for organ donation. What is the answer?
I myself am an organ donor, as is everyone in my family. We also donate blood at least twice a year for those of us eligible. We are not special, or different to anyone else out there, we just made a choice. One in which you remove those feelings of selfishness and fear and share what you have with others less fortunate in health.
Everyday we eat the meat of other animals from our animal kingdom, and we tear plants apart to get their fresh vegetables to keep us healthy, and we milk cows to drink their offer of calcium enriched milk, and we pull down forests and clear land to build our homes; all of this so we can survive. Food, water, shelter.
Some peoples needs to survive will reach beyond this, whether it be from sickness, or a terrible accident, and this is the opportunity to give something back from all you take from the earth in a day.
Consider this:
Although we have a world class reputation for successful organ donation, we have one of the lowest donation rates. Our organ usage rate is very impressive with each donor on average sharing 3.4 organs upon donation!
Although 98% of Australians believe that organ donation has the potential to improve and save lives, 40% of us don’t even know what our family members wishes are in regard to organ donation, with only 17% ever recalling a memorable conversation about these wishes, leading to a rate 58% of families giving consent, which is far too low. These decisions should be discussed earlier in life as nobody knows when they will go.
At any time, there are over 1700 people waiting for an organ transplant, and on average are waiting anywhere between 6 months and 4 years. In 2009, 247 donors were able to give 799 Australians a new chance at life, yet less than half of the demand for organs was met.
One organ and tissue donor can save the lives of up to 10 people! And improve so many more!
To make us feel a little more responsibility, maybe we should consider this:
By the end of 2008, Australia had only 12 donors per million, where the US had 24, Spain had 34, Italy had 23 and the UK had 15. The smaller population is not the factor as this is comparative, they simply have higher organ donor levels.
On a positive note, we are in the top 5 for corneal transplants with 2009 seeing 1696 people having their sight restored by the 1096 people donating their corneas. And every ear, 3-4 thousand skin, heart and musculoskeletal tissues are transplanted.
But is this really enough?
Perhaps people fear offending other religions. After reading up on many religious groups, here is a collation of the some of the more common religions and their beliefs, within Australia. Let’s take a look:
Christian
A Christian who chooses to donate an organ is following the example set by Jesus of “demonstrating love”. Sacrifice and helping others form a key part of Christianity, and in the Bible, Christians are invited by St Matthew to “freely give”.
Jew
Jews are required to obtain consent from a competent “rabbinic authority” before any organ donation procedure can take place, but nothing in principle in Judaism conflicts with organ donation in order to save lives. Jewish law prevents the unnecessary interference with the body after death and requires immediate burial of the complete body, however this is the law of their country, not their religion.
Islam
In Islam, violating the human body is normally forbidden, but it is permitted to save another person’s life. The Koran states in chapter five that, “whosoever saves the life of one person it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind”.
Jehovah's Witness
According to the Watch Tower Society, Jehovah's Witnesses believe donation is a matter of individual decision. Jehovah's Witnesses are often assumed to be opposed to donation because of their belief against blood transfusion. However, this merely means that all blood must be removed from the organs and tissues before being transplanted.
Hindu
“Daan” is a word in Sanskrit for donation, which means selflessly giving to a Hindu. That is the “third of the 10 niyamas”, which are virtuous acts of the faith. Actions that sustain life are accepted and promoted as “dharma”, which means righteous living. Hindus believe that the soul is invisible, and that it is wrong to grieve for the body.
Buddhist
Buddhists believe that organ and tissue donation is a matter of individual conscience and place high value on acts of compassion. Reverend Gyomay Masao, president and founder of the Buddhist Temple of Chicago says, "We honour those people who donate their bodies and organs to the advancement of medical science and to saving lives." The importance of letting loved ones know your wishes is stressed.
Sikh
A key feature of Sikhism is the requirement to put the needs of others ahead of one’s own requirements. As with most of the other religions, the soul of an individual is separate from the physical body, and “Guru Nanak” taught, in the “Guru Granth Sahib”, that: “The dead sustain their bond with the living through virtuous deeds”.
Organ and tissue donation is viewed as an act of neighborly love and charity by these denominations. They encourage all members to support donation as a way of helping others.
Catholic
Catholics view organ and tissue donation as an act of charity and love. Transplants are morally and ethically acceptable to the Vatican. Pope John Paul II has stated, "The Catholic Church would promote the fact that there is a need for organ donors and that Christians should accept this as a 'challenge to their generosity and fraternal love' so long as ethical principles are followed."
Assembly of God
The Church has no official policy regarding organ and tissue donation. The decision to donate is left up to the individual. Donation is highly supported by the denomination.
Baptist
Though Baptists generally believe that organ and tissue donation and transplantation are ultimately matters of personal conscience, the nation's “largest protestant denomination”, the “Southern Baptist Convention”, adopted a resolution in 1988 encouraging doctors to request organ donation in appropriate circumstances and to "encourage voluntarism regarding organ donations in the spirit of stewardship, compassion for the needs of others and alleviating suffering." Other Baptist groups have supported organ and tissue donation as an act of charity and leave the decision to donate up to the individual.
Bretheren
While no official position has been taken by the Brethren denominations, according to a Pastor, Mike Smith, there is a “consensus” among the “National Fellowship of Grace Brethren” that organ and tissue donation and transplantation is a charitable act so long as it does not impede the life or hasten the death of the donor and does not come from an unborn child.
Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believes that the decision to donate is an individual one made in conjunction with family, medical personnel and prayer. They do not oppose donation.
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church encourages organ and tissue donation, stating that we were created for God's glory and for sharing God's love. A 1985 resolution, adopted by the General Assembly, encourages "members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to enrol as organ donors and prayerfully support those who have received an organ transplant."
Greek Orthodox
According to Reverend Dr. Milton Efthimiou, Director of the Department of Church and Society for the Greek Orthodox Church of North and South America, "the Greek Orthodox Church is not opposed to organ donation as long as the organs and tissue in questions are used to better human life, i.e., for transplantation or for research that will lead to improvements in the treatment and prevention of disease."
Presbyterian
Presbyterians encourage and support donation. They respect a person's right to make decisions regarding his or her own body.
Seventh-Day Adventists
Donation and transplantation are strongly encouraged by Seventh-Day Adventists. They have many transplant hospitals, including Loma Linda in California. Loma Linda specialises in paediatric heart transplantation.
United Methodist
The United Methodist Church issued a policy statement regarding organ and tissue donation. In it, they state that, "The United Methodist Church recognizes the life-giving benefits of organ and tissue donation, and thereby encourages all Christians to become organ and tissue donors by signing and carrying cards or driver's licenses, attesting to their commitment of such organs upon their death, to those in need, as a part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave his life that we might have life in its fullness."
Conclusion:
It seems to be the case that basically every religion within Australia allows, and most encourage, organ donation.
What seems to be the real issue for most is that it be at the will of the donor. Some are very concerned with the purpose of the donation to be used only for the purpose of saving life. Some are in support of it for scientific research also.
So how do we decide?
Perhaps Census 2011 might be the answer. For anyone who is part of the population, they are required to fill out the Census form on the given night. This is a good opportunity to allow the government to promote organ donation to everyone. It also offers the chance for families to speak openly about organ donation, so when the time comes, they can make the right decision based on what that person chose while they were still living.
So to answer the question: Yes, I do think the government should make organ donation compulsory upon death, unless you have opted out whilst still alive, or if your family choose not to. The decision will still lie with the individual and their family, but for those who die without a family and no option for donation, unlike now, they will donate their organs instead of going to waste.
Most people, whilst alive, will never get a chance to save someone’s life and be a hero, yet after death, you are offered the chance to save up to 10, simply through offering your organs for donation. Seems like a simple choice really…..