Organ donation
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This is a reply to Manuel Moreale's post "On corpses, selfishness, and ownership". Instead of replying directly via e-mail I thought I'd be a good blogger and reply publicly.
Mauel writes that with the new ID in Italy you have to say if you want to be an organ donor or not so that it can be included on your ID. That is not the case in Germany. I had to get a new credit card size ID a few years back (I guess it's an EU thing) and they did not ask me that question. We do however have an extra organ donor card that is entirely optional.
Before I continue I want to state that I agree with Manuel in that it is selfish to not be an organ donor. Even for religious reasons I do not understand if you aren't. What god would want you to not help another human to survive? (Hint: I am not religious.)
Back to the German organ donor card. It used to be a rather big card board card, but now is plastic credit card size, too. You can order one already filled in, or get an empty one and fill it in by hand, or register online. There are several options for if and what to donate:
- Yes, take what you need
- Yes, but don't take these organs
- Yes, but only take these organs
- No, don't take any organs
- This person should decide if yes or no [which is a pretty shitty option to tick as well]
Instead of having to carry an extra card, I would have liked to have it attatched to my ID as well. Since every German citizen has to have one (either an ID card or a passport), it would be so easy. On the other hand, what if you change your decision later, before you need a new ID?
So my proposal is this: Don't make organ donation opt-in, but opt-out. Every citizen is an organ donor, full stop. Excpet when they opt out. Way better for people waiting for an organ. Which I don't need anymore when I'm dead and decaying.
In Germany, on December 31, 2024 there were 8,575 people waiting for an organ donation. In all of 2024 there were 953 organ donors. We can do better! (Source: organspende-info.de)
I was curious to see how many people in Germany carry an organ donor card. The official website gives me the following numbers from a sample survey in 2024:
- 62% have made a decision
- 45% have documented this decision in an organ donor card, or a patient's provision, or both
- 16% have made a decision but did not document it anywhere
- 35% have not made a decision yet
- 85% think positively about organ donation
Ok, great that 85% percent think that organ donation is a good thing. But why haven't all of them filled out an organ donor card? Also, why haven't the 16% who have made a decision not documented it anywhere? All the reasons for an opt-out situtation for organ donation are right there in this survey!
If you are in Germany, here are some links for you if you are interested in organ donation:
- Get an organ donation card (Organspendeausweis), or register online: organspende-info.de
- Register as a bone marrow donor: dkms.de - This is really easy to do. You get a swab kit, take some saliva samples and send them back. Done.
- Donate blood, too!
If you are not in Germany, please inform yourself about the options available to you. Consider this: People die because they don't get a new organ. You can get into the situation of having to rely on organ donation any time yourself. And then you are happy if you can get the one you need. Why not be the one to give another human the chance to live, too?
- Elena.
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