Organ donation after death: thoughts and experiences?

I’m really not a fan of this idea...🤷 If I could leave it to someone specific, like my family or a close friend, maybe.
But just handing it out to anyone? No way.

I honestly believe we're all unique individuals, and we should go out the same way we came into this world.

When I finally kick the bucket, let them take whatever they can use. It’s not like I’m going to be needing any of it where I'm going.
I honestly don't get this whole obsession with being buried in one piece. What do I care what's left inside me? I won't have a use for it anyway.
Besides, my death will probably end up mattering to people more than my actual life ever did. And it would be an indescribable joy to know I saved a few lives—though, of course, I wouldn't be around to find out..😬

And you, shadownomad43, you're seriously talking such nonsense that I find it hard to believe people like you actually exist.🤷
A buddy of mine had both his legs crushed, and if one hadn't been amputated, he would've died from sepsis. What's he supposed to say? No thanks, I'd rather die than live without half a leg. Give me a break.
The way it is now, his quality of life will be just fine, because thank God we have whatever kind of prosthetics you want these days.

So, for those of you who are against organ donation, do you actually have that in writing? You need to realize that under US law, if you haven't explicitly opted out, it’s basically assumed you consent. If you don't make a formal declaration, they can take your organs after you pass. 😁 On top of that, if there isn't an official statement on file saying you're not a donor, your next of kin can still make the call to donate your organs once you're gone.

Benjamin Rivera4 said:My son received a liver from a young man who passed away around age 25. I find myself thinking about his parents all the time—how, in the absolute darkest moment of their lives, they chose to show such incredible humanity and ended up saving several lives in the process. It feels like a moral duty to me, a real obligation, to make sure I sign my own donor card too.

On another note, regarding pediatric transplants... there are people out there today living perfectly healthy, normal lives because they underwent liver transplants as children twenty years ago. We don't see many older recipients because, frankly, those procedures weren't even attempted much back then. But transplant medicine today? It’s nothing short of miraculous—the techniques and medications have come such a long way.

I’m not going to waste much breath on user "shadownomad43"... I'll just leave this here. ☕

shadownomad43 says:

If the One who created us had intended for us to have the ability to swap or donate organs, He probably would have thrown in some patented zippers along with everything else He gave us—or maybe He would have just given our organs the ability to regenerate so we wouldn't even need donations in the first place.

Maybe the One who created us actually wanted us to learn how to step up ourselves—as human beings—and figure out how to replace an organ when it starts to fail.

I read your story over at RiD and I am so glad everything went well and your son is doing fine. 👍 Don't pay any mind to these kinds of stories or the judgments that come with them; there will always be people with all sorts of twisted perspectives.

Taking any kind of therapy or undergoing surgery is apparently "interfering with nature." Fine. By that logic, we should just toss out everything modern medicine offers and head straight back to the Middle Ages where we can all die from a simple infection.

melloworca6 said:So, for those of you who are against organ donation, do you actually have that in writing? You need to realize that under US law, if you haven't explicitly opted out, it’s basically assumed you consent. If you don't make a formal declaration, they can take your organs after you pass. 😁 On top of that, if there isn't an official statement on file saying you're not a donor, your next of kin can still make the call to donate your organs once you're gone.

Exactly. And you'd better keep a signed form on you at all times.

pajamas aren't exempt 😉

I even have a specific dress I want them to put me in.🙂 I’m not leaving my death up to chance.😁

As for shadownomad43, given those circumstances and all those surgeries, she’s definitely faced the reality of death—unlike a lot of people who just toss around careless comments like "just take everything out."🙄
Our bodies aren't public property for everyone to use however they please. This should be a personal decision, and everyone's stance deserves respect.

Look, we can opt out of organ donation if we want, which basically means we don't want our organs to stay "alive" and functioning inside someone else after we're gone.
But what about the autopsy? They’re still going to make incisions and remove everything anyway—sometimes they don't even put it all back.

It's pretty unlikely we're all heading into the ground completely intact. ☕

John Baker, where exactly are you seeing a lack of respect for anyone's views here?

I wouldn't even be weighing in on this if I hadn't read how people involved in organ donation—both donors and recipients—are actually just being selfish, artificially dragging out life and living in pure agony. And then you have someone like you, who is literally going under the knife to ease your own pain and improve your quality of life, turning around and judging everyone else who chooses to do things differently.

If someone wants to donate their organs, let them. What's with all this preaching about who gets to do what with their own body or the body of their next of kin? If you find yourself in a position where you need an organ, feel free to say no. Nobody is going to force you at gunpoint; in fact, there are so many people on those waiting lists that nobody cares whether you take it or not.

And as for who is a sick person, who is bouncing between hospitals, who is suffering through pain, or who has stared death in the face—you have no clue. You don't know who the person on the other side of the screen is, so using that as an argument is just plain stupid.

shadownomad43 said:Exactly. That is precisely the point.
The mere thought of someone else's heart beating inside my chest feels, quite frankly, revolting.

As a side note, I have a pretty extensive medical history—which translates to a significant amount of "hospital experience"—and I am actually facing my 12th surgery in a few days.
Fortunately, or perhaps by the will of God, I don't suffer from any actual organ failure; my issues tend to be more "mechanical" in nature.
However...
Since every surgical procedure (especially those involving general anesthesia) carries its own inherent risks, I took the time to draft a three-page summary of my medical history. I wanted to make things a bit easier for the doctors as they navigate the complexities of my anatomy.

In that document, I made it explicitly clear that I do NOT consent to any amputations, transplants, removals, or implants under any circumstances.
At the same time, I gave them the green light to resuscitate me if things go south, provided they exhaust all efforts while respecting the boundaries I established in the previous sentence.
Essentially, I am fine with being treated using modern medical technology, appropriate medications (assuming they exist), and the specialized knowledge gained through years of schooling. But when the time comes for me to pass away—which, like everyone else, will eventually happen—I want to go out whole. Exactly as I was born.
Whether I am 5, 15, 50, or 155 at the time doesn't matter to me one bit.

hahaha so you clearly haven't spent time in a morgue seeing what they do with bodies. You won't be "whole" even if you want to be when you kick the bucket. One side of the table has your guts, the other has your kidneys, and your brain is halfway down to your feet. Then they patch you back up, sew you shut, and slide you into a casket.😁 And once you're in that coffin, all your organs rot away pretty fast anyway.🕺 That logic doesn't hold water, especially when you consider that after death, you aren't "you" anymore—it's just a corpse nobody's looking at. And you don't have a say in anything once you're dead.🕺

That's why if you don't explicitly state you're against donation and register as such, your family can still give the okay to harvest your organs. We're all donors by default unless we speak up. You don't just become a donor because of a card; it happens even if you protest.

The worst part to me is the idea of someone refusing to help their own kid who needs an organ, knowing they could get it from a relative. You'd basically let them die just because you wouldn't give it to them. -.-

Patrick Young2 said:Look, we can opt out of organ donation if we want, which basically means we don't want our organs to stay "alive" and functioning inside someone else after we're gone.
But what about the autopsy? They’re still going to make incisions and remove everything anyway—sometimes they don't even put it all back.

It's pretty unlikely we're all heading into the ground completely intact. ☕

I was at an autopsy during my med school training, and honestly, I couldn't even wrap my head around it at first. It’s so cold, how they handle things. No emotion, just cutting away, organs scattered everywhere... it's wild. That was actually when I decided I'd rather donate. If they're going to tear me apart anyway, I might as well make it useful.🙄

Chris Carter10 said:I was at an autopsy during my med school training, and honestly, I couldn't even wrap my head around it at first. It’s so cold, how they handle things. No emotion, just cutting away, organs scattered everywhere... it's wild. That was actually when I decided I'd rather donate. If they're going to tear me apart anyway, I might as well make it useful.🙄

If I recall correctly, a family member has to authorize the autopsy or explicitly opt out, but who really knows what goes down behind closed doors.

Going slightly off-topic here, but since we're talking about cutting things open, 😉

I have this one tiny, somewhat superstitious doubt: is it possible for my soul (or whatever essence lingers after death) to return to its own realm if some part of my body is still technically alive? 🤔

I’m all in favor of organ donation after death. If you have the chance to help someone out, why wouldn't you? It’s just common sense, plain and simple.

Once we're gone, we're gone. Period. Whether they bury us with all our organs or not doesn't really change anything. And if you can leave something behind that actually helps someone else keep going, isn't that a pretty good way to go?

Where can I actually pick up an organ donor card?
I asked my private physician, but he doesn't have any on hand.

I'm pretty sure I signed up to be an organ donor about five or six years ago.

melloworca6 As stated by:
John Baker, where exactly are you seeing a lack of respect for anyone's views here?

I wouldn't have even bothered weighing in on this topic if I hadn't come across that perspective—the idea that both donors and recipients are essentially acting out of self-interest, merely using artificial means to force a life to continue when it should be allowed to fade, leaving people to linger in a state of prolonged agony.

I wouldn't have even bothered weighing in on this discussion if that very first post hadn't gone out of its way to label anyone with a differing opinion as selfish.
I’d suggest scrolling back to the very beginning of the thread next time; my initial post here was actually just a direct response to that original piece.

melloworca6 As stated by:
It’s funny how people will undergo surgery just to ease their own physical burdens and reclaim some semblance of a decent quality of life, yet they turn around and cast judgment on everyone else who chooses a different path to achieve that very same goal.

That’s easy enough to say when you're someone who actually understands, firsthand, just how much life can sting.
And you shouldn't go inventing "judgments" either, considering I haven't made a single one in any of my posts.

melloworca6 As stated by:
You honestly haven't the slightest clue who is actually suffering here—who is currently cycling through hospital corridors, enduring genuine physical agony, or standing toe-to-toe with death itself. Since you have no idea who the person on the other side of this screen really is, leaning on that particular argument feels a bit hollow, don't you think?

Whether our arguments strike you as foolish or not is really beside the point; the difference between us is that we actually have them to stand on, whereas you seem to be operating on nothing at all.

Nicholas Kelly said:When I finally kick the bucket, let them take whatever they can use. It’s not like I’m going to be needing any of it where I'm going.
I honestly don't get this whole obsession with being buried in one piece. What do I care what's left inside me? I won't have a use for it anyway.
Besides, my death will probably end up mattering to people more than my actual life ever did. And it would be an indescribable joy to know I saved a few lives—though, of course, I wouldn't be around to find out..😬

And you, shadownomad43, you're seriously talking such nonsense that I find it hard to believe people like you actually exist.🤷
A buddy of mine had both his legs crushed, and if one hadn't been amputated, he would've died from sepsis. What's he supposed to say? No thanks, I'd rather die than live without half a leg. Give me a break.
The way it is now, his quality of life will be just fine, because thank God we have whatever kind of prosthetics you want these days.

Not quite, dear; it isn't nonsense. It is simply my perspective, an opinion I hold by right, both before God and man.
As for those of you who hold the opposite view, I have neither intention of judging nor insulting you, because you are just as entitled to your own convictions as I am to mine.

Nicholas Kelly said:When I finally kick the bucket, let them take whatever they can use. It’s not like I’m going to be needing any of it where I'm going.
I honestly don't get this whole obsession with being buried in one piece. What do I care what's left inside me? I won't have a use for it anyway.
Besides, my death will probably end up mattering to people more than my actual life ever did. And it would be an indescribable joy to know I saved a few lives—though, of course, I wouldn't be around to find out..😬

And you, shadownomad43, you're seriously talking such nonsense that I find it hard to believe people like you actually exist.🤷
A buddy of mine had both his legs crushed, and if one hadn't been amputated, he would've died from sepsis. What's he supposed to say? No thanks, I'd rather die than live without half a leg. Give me a break.
The way it is now, his quality of life will be just fine, because thank God we have whatever kind of prosthetics you want these days.

My dear, I have an uncle who had both legs amputated at the hip about a year ago. His quality of life is quite a struggle, especially since prosthetics aren't even an option for him.

It is true that a living person can adapt to almost anything, but one should occasionally pause and ask themselves how much that adaptation truly costs.

It’s an interesting concept, isn't it? We often talk about vitality as if it were some finite resource we can simply tap into or exhaust, much like a battery draining in the cold. But in reality, it feels more like a shifting tide—something that ebbs and flows based on how we manage the quiet, underlying rhythms of our lives. It isn't just about the absence of being a sick person; it's about that specific, quiet momentum that carries you through a Tuesday afternoon when everything feels a bit heavy. We tend to chase these massive, cinematic bursts of energy, yet true vitality usually resides in the small, deliberate choices we make to maintain our equilibrium amidst the noise of everyday life. says:
The reality of the situation is that even if you go out of your way to state your opposition to organ donation, if you fail to officially register that refusal, your family might still give their consent. It’s a subtle trap because, under our current system, we are all essentially considered donors by default. Being an organ donor isn't just about carrying around a specific card; it's about the fact that even if you explicitly voice your dissent, the legal weight of your silence can override those personal convictions.

Fortunately, I’m lucky enough to have a family that actually respects my perspective and honors my boundaries. It’s never even crossed their minds to do anything that would go against my wishes.

It’s funny how we tend to view vitality as this sudden, explosive burst of energy—something akin to a lightning strike that just hits you out of nowhere. In reality, I’ve always found it more like the steady, quiet hum of a well-maintained engine on a cross-country drive through the Midwest. It isn't about the frantic sprint at the start of a race; it’s about that underlying capacity to sustain momentum without burning out before you even hit the state line. We spend so much time chasing these momentary peaks of excitement, yet true vigor seems to reside in the subtle, rhythmic consistency of our daily habits and the quiet resilience of our systems. The user says:
What strikes me as truly chilling is the thought of someone refusing to help their own child by donating an organ they desperately need, only to be told that the child can only receive one from a relative. It essentially means you would stand by and let them die simply because you wouldn't step up to provide what's necessary.

My children haven't really been "children" for quite some time now; they’ve transitioned into thinking for themselves. It’s an interesting development, honestly—they actually tend to share my perspective on things.

melloworca6 said:So, for those of you who are against organ donation, do you actually have that in writing? You need to realize that under US law, if you haven't explicitly opted out, it’s basically assumed you consent. If you don't make a formal declaration, they can take your organs after you pass. 😁 On top of that, if there isn't an official statement on file saying you're not a donor, your next of kin can still make the call to donate your organs once you're gone.

Are you feeling a sense of doubt creeping in?

melloworca6 said:So, for those of you who are against organ donation, do you actually have that in writing? You need to realize that under US law, if you haven't explicitly opted out, it’s basically assumed you consent. If you don't make a formal declaration, they can take your organs after you pass. 😁 On top of that, if there isn't an official statement on file saying you're not a donor, your next of kin can still make the call to donate your organs once you're gone.

I’m telling you, anyone who would have the audacity to attempt such a thing after I’ve passed would find that sleep becomes a very restless thing indeed.

melloworca6 As stated by:
It’s worth remembering that if you haven't officially opted out of organ donation, your loved ones can still step in to make that decision on your behalf after you've passed away.

I didn't just stop at drafting a formal declaration; I made sure to ensure that anyone who might suddenly decide to act on such an idea after I'm gone would find themselves facing actual criminal charges.

Benjamin Rivera4 said:My son received a liver from a young man who passed away around age 25. I find myself thinking about his parents all the time—how, in the absolute darkest moment of their lives, they chose to show such incredible humanity and ended up saving several lives in the process. It feels like a moral duty to me, a real obligation, to make sure I sign my own donor card too.

On another note, regarding pediatric transplants... there are people out there today living perfectly healthy, normal lives because they underwent liver transplants as children twenty years ago. We don't see many older recipients because, frankly, those procedures weren't even attempted much back then. But transplant medicine today? It’s nothing short of miraculous—the techniques and medications have come such a long way.

I’m not going to waste much breath on user "shadownomad43"... I'll just leave this here. ☕

shadownomad43 says:

If the One who created us had intended for us to have the ability to swap or donate organs, He probably would have thrown in some patented zippers along with everything else He gave us—or maybe He would have just given our organs the ability to regenerate so we wouldn't even need donations in the first place.

Maybe the One who created us actually wanted us to learn how to step up ourselves—as human beings—and figure out how to replace an organ when it starts to fail.

That is your perspective and your choice, and I respect it as such. Naturally, I wish nothing but the very best for you and your son.

Just so we're clear, that donor card doesn't actually carry any legal weight. It was basically just a marketing gimmick from back when they were trying to drum up awareness about organ donation.

In the US, organ donation is governed by the principle of presumed consent. This means you AREN'T officially a donor unless you’ve specifically filed that declaration with your primary care physician.
Before those grief counselors start talking—and honestly, it's because of people like them—doctors who identify potential donors and manage the pre-transplant process NEVER register anyone without sitting down with the family and getting their explicit consent.
So, sure, it's great that you signed the card, but it’s way more important to actually talk to your family and make sure they know exactly what your wishes are.
If anyone here thinks they "heard" or "know" of someone in America having their organs harvested without family permission, feel free to reach out—DM me if you want—and I will gladly help you report that to the proper authorities.

One question for shadownomad43 (respecting your religious and personal views here): during any of your 12 surgeries, or in the recovery periods afterward, did you ever receive blood or blood products? I ask because a transfusion is essentially a form of transplantation in the broader sense.
And thankfully, in the US, awareness regarding transplants has finally started to boost interest in the importance of voluntary blood donation.