You Can't Take It With You

I haven't blogged in a while because I've been bunkered down, writing my book, reading a lot of stuff, and I knew weeks ago I wanted to post something that shares just a little bit of what I've learned in reading three books on the subject of organ donation.  

I have learned that our country's organ donation system is based on altruism, and altruism isn't working.  Supply is inadequate.  In America, the organ donation system has no science to it, at least in the initial stages.  In fact, the organ donation system has been called a complex lottery system.  

I'm not going to share the volume of information contained in the books (but I will highly recommend Black Markets by Michele Goodwin).  But the fact remains that altruism could work . . . if more people were altruistic.  We'd have a bigger supply.  Donating would be the rule, not the exception.  But donations per the percentage of population continue to dwindle.  Some folks feel that medical staffers would let them die if they were donors.  Others don't like the thought of themselves or a family member being cut up after they are dead.  Some people have religious conflicts, even though every single major religion endorses organ donation.  

Simply put, we need to get this trend going in the opposite direction.  Consider the regression of the cadaver supply . . . 

We consider doctors to be infallible.  One mistake creates a "bad doctor" and a lawsuit.  But these men and women were not born with a scalpel in their hand.  They require what anyone does to be proficient at their work, and that's practice.  Surgeons have fewer cadavers today than we had available decades ago.  In fact, there is a cadaver shortage.  Less opportunities to practice.  Why is this?  Fewer people are donating their bodies for such use, and fewer families are open to this possibility.

Organs are trending the same way.  The altruistic process leaves thousands of people waiting for vital organs, an agonizing wait that is full of uncertainty, a wait that is hit or miss.  Even worse is the tragedy of knowing the technology exists to save them, if only there were enough donors out there.

The lack of altruism creates grave robbing (yes, it still happens).  It has built a black market for organs.  It has allowed the rich to exploit the poor in this country and others.  Consider that a man paid 100k for a "kidney vacation" in another country, and a poor villager got 5k for giving up his kidney (coincidentally, he was then robbed of the 5k). Altruism can work, but everyone has to be better at it, or we're going to keep wondering why the waiting lists are so big, why medical schools don't have the tools they need, and also, we have to wonder just where the tissue banks are getting their goods.  Here's a hint--it's not all legitimate tissue.  In fact, there have been cases of stolen, tainted tissue getting into patients due to corrupt tissue banks who steal or buy their supply.    

Organ and tissue donation is a personal decision, but have you considered this decision lately?  What's your driver's license say?  Have you registered with your state's donor registry?  Have you talked to your family?  

As for me, I'm a donor.  Give me the buffalo treatment . . . leave nothing wasted.  If I pass away, scatter every viable part of me to families that could be restored.  Or let a doctor become brilliant with me serving as the practice field.  

Let my funeral be a mourning of my spirit and memory, not the body I no longer need.