Organ donation law has changed

[Saracen999]

IIRC, those chances of success do include some consideration of the recipient's lifestyle... just not very much consideration.

My concern is the organ going to a messed-up drug user instead of a young child, simply because the former was higher on the list or something. A prisoner on Death Row might* receive an organ, purely because the law has decreed they must die at an appointed time.

I freely admit I believe some people would be best left to die, and saving them is not only a waste of time but comes at the expense of other far more deserving.








*Hypothetically, as I don't know if that's how it would go, but I'd not be surprised if this turned out to be true.

As for as I know, and I'd stress that bit, decisions are made by a transplant committee, that would take all sorts of factors into account, rather than just number on a list. But as few years back, we did see a liver transplant given to a certain ex-footballing hyper-star that was also famous as an unremitting alcoholic (and not totally isolated from drug abuse, if memory serves). And again, IIRC, the boozing didn't stop, with utterly predictable results. What we don't know (or I sure don't) is who else might have been a credible recipient.... if anyone.

I take the point about the child versus death-row inmate, and I doubt many people would argue prioritising the latter.

The problem is that such value judgments are easy at the extreme, they become increasingly problematic as the gap narrows from extremes, and gets very tricky between two equally acceptable and socially attractive candidates. We need a degree of constructive 'blindness' in the process, not just about race, sexual orientation, etc, but also social standing and wealth.

After all, the death row inmate might be falsely convicted and go on to be a world-class artist, musician or philosopher, and the little girl might grow up to be a mass murderer or a political dictator.

[Saracen999]

The reason I raise it is I recall reading an article where they were suggesting there might be more to genetics and the role of the organ tissues than we currently acknowledge - things where recipients of transplants take on new personality traits, preferences, and even abilities. I don't have time to look it up right now, but I think it was a reasonable source (print sadly, not online). I'll see if I can find it. If that is the case, then I would very much want to know the background of any organ someone is proposing to put in me.

Yup, it's a thing. Here you go: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31739081/

Interesting. Sounds a bit Arthur C Clarke or Robert Heinlein ..... but then, life is said to be stranger than fiction. I seem to remember a story about murderer's eyes.

[ik9000]

Interesting. Sounds a bit Arthur C Clarke or Robert Heinlein ..... but then, life is said to be stranger than fiction. I seem to remember a story about murderer's eyes.

I know! Weird right, but as I understand it it's not just one person reporting this, nor are they just talking about an isolated anecdotal account

[Bonebreaker777]

Very interesting thread. And I didn't even logged in to read it in the first place

I am a donor, 30 blood donations (last one was ad-hoc call for local donors in the middle of lock down as loads of people cancelled, 31st donation is coming up in a month), 2x potential bone marrow but not exact match and a voluntary organ donor. Heck, I regularly donate even my hair and my s***m.

Yet I agree with those who think it should be still voluntary opt-in, i.e.not mandatory opt-in and voluntary opt-out.

[Helios451]

The reason I raise it is I recall reading an article where they were suggesting there might be more to genetics and the role of the organ tissues than we currently acknowledge - things where recipients of transplants take on new personality traits, preferences, and even abilities. I don't have time to look it up right now, but I think it was a reasonable source (print sadly, not online). I'll see if I can find it. If that is the case, then I would very much want to know the background of any organ someone is proposing to put in me.

Yup, it's a thing. Here you go: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31739081/

Unfortunately, I was unable to get to anything apart from the Abstract. However, that merely talks about possibility and hypothesises potential cause. The outcome is a recommendation for further study - not a statement of confirmed hypothesis, so we can't say it's a thing, merely that it's not been shown to be not a thing, which is different.

[ik9000]

Unfortunately, I was unable to get to anything apart from the Abstract. However, that merely talks about possibility and hypothesises potential cause. The outcome is a recommendation for further study - not a statement of confirmed hypothesis, so we can't say it's a thing, merely that it's not been shown to be not a thing, which is different.

Its one example - and based on a number of reported cases. The article I originally read was not this one. Feel free to pay for it though and we can find out more.