Living Organ Donation

I've wrestled with the notion of being a living organ donor for a few years. I have questions like a lot of people do ... I'm not worried about being crippled for life by donating a kidney like a lot of people seem to worry, but I have questions and concerns.

There's been some debate and whatnot in regard to compensation for donors. I've come to understand it is strictly prohibited for donors to receive compensation, and there is no program to give free medical care to the donor ... there are some slight risks to the donor and while they are slight, it would seem to me that plus the fact a donor has put their life at risk -- however slight -- to save a fellow citizen's life, maybe they should get similar lifelong medical care and compensation that a combat veteran soldier. I dunno, maybe that's rude and demeaning to soldiers on the front line for years with bullets wizzing over their head versus some civilian who goes to a hospital for a few days for surgery and recovery, but I dunno. I'd like to hear others' thoughts.

Should I make this into a DDO debate to fully explore it? I think the forum can get more input/thoughts/whatnot.

Discuss.

I would certainly put myself on the list of dead organ doners (i.e. I die, my body is carved up for organs). As for living, I would do it under the precondition i get medical care until I fully recover, or compensation is paid to my immediate family upon my death. As for money as a reward, the last thing we want is people paying money for organs to pay themselves.

Eek, no living donation for me.

Upon my death, sure. Do what you will with my remains (I certainly won't be in a situation to protest or even care).

But for my organs right now... I'm still using them!

You want to risk your life in this manner..just so you feel good about yourself? On that basis alone I'd advise against it. Self-worth through external agents is loaded with problems.

That sounds like a simply idiotic thing to do.

If you got compensation, it wouldn't be a donation, it would be a sale.

Not that I'd have a problem with that, as long as the buyer bought it with their money.

But in the meantime, it sounds like you're committing an error aside from the one Puck mentioned. I think you're wishing the compensation was there so you could get an easy living, and you're treating the situation as though you were going to get such compensation, and maybe hoping one of us was going to mention a legalization scheme for organ sales.

Unfortunately not the case. Sorry. It's not gonna be legalized anytime soon.

Course, on the plus side, that just means you can get compensated at higher prices than you would otherwise on the black market.