Become An Organ Donor Today

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It’s my birthday and before I head off to punish my liver, I thought I’d try to encourage some good where human organs are concerned.

As the majority of my readers and listeners will be atheists, I think it stands to reason that many of you couldn’t care less what happens to you after you die. I feel the same and it’s this realisation that made me sign up as an organ donor many years ago.

With this in mind, I’m calling on you to join the organ donor list and potentially help someone to live on when it’s your time to go.

Now, I wouldn’t want anyone to feel pressured. Whatever you feel comfortable with is the right decision when it comes to your body. You may wish to go away and think about it, consult loved ones or read up on the topic some more.

For those who are certain however, you can sign up using the below links in a matter of minutes.

U.K.

United States Of America

I’ve only had the time to add the links for the UK and USA so far. I’m aware that I have readers from hundreds of other regions of the planet, so please provide a link to your countries’ donor page in the comments and I will update the post.

Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below whether you have signed up and why! This is a great cause and further demonstrates what can be achieved when a group of online atheists work together to be good for good’s sake.

Stephen Knight is host of The #GSPodcast. You can listen to The Godless Spellchecker Podcast here, and support it by becoming a patron here.

5 comments

  • Signed up years ago, about the same time I started giving blood. Next step is sort out donating what’s left for junior doctors to practice on.

  • Happy Birthday, Stephen! CHEERS!
    I am an organ donor AND when they’re done with that I’ve left my body to science to do whatever they see fit.
    As you said, as an atheist it really doesn’t matter to me what happens to my body when I’m gone so if it helps someone then great.
    And, I’m opposed to animal vivisection so it seems right to at least help science with my dead body!
    On that note, do some liver damage for your birthday.:)
    Enjoy!!

  • Happy birthday. 🙂
    Hubs and I signed up ages ago + ticked boxes on our licenses + probably most importantly, know each other’s wishes…because when it comes down to it, family can override the deceased person’s wishes, I believe…in Australia at least.

  • See also http://Www.deletebloodcancer.org for bone marrow donation. Matches can be difficult so the more people who register the better to offer the best chance for a patient to find one. The alternative is death.

    Organ donation. UK having discussed presumed consent for many years is moving in that direction. Hitherto has been presumed non consent and even with evidence of predeath formalised consent by the deceased seems not to be legally binding but is just used to make case to family members who make the decision; obviously in difficult circumstances. The next of kin inherit the body by default. Organs need to be fresh to be usable and the delays caused in obtaining consent is not helpful.

    In the UK, since Dec 2015 Wales has had legally presumed consent following a 2 year information campaign. That is, people need to register their refusal to donate which can be quickly confirmed with a database lookup. Those who do register their refusal should not be refused Organs should they later need and want them but other patients should have priority. Presumed consent should release ample numbers of Organs to meet the need.

    That so many have died every year unnecessarily for so long is a tragedy and the delay in resolving this has been a failure of the political process. There is a high level of popular support for organ donation but getting people to register, carry donor cards and discuss with their families is difficult. Objections tend to be from a minority and religiously based and is directly responsible for avoidable deaths every year.

    Personally I object to the possibility that others, even if my family, have the right to override my own wishes of what I want done with my remains. I have a Will to formally assert my wish to donate my body in any way medically or scientifically useful but my Organs will not be usable by the time my Will gets thought of.

    Kudos to those active in making the change to presumed consent in the UK. Hopefully England will follow Wales soon.

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