Here's the post everybody is making

[conuly]

A 23 year old autistic man is being denied his heart transplant because of being autistic, despite being fully capable of following the instructions post-surgery.

Elenbarathi has more information and of course there's a petition.

The stated reason for denying or delaying this man's heart transplant is abhorrent, of course. However, if we all pull together and get this man his heart, what's going to happen is some other unfortunate at the bottom of the list isn't going to get one. We could have a petition for that guy, but it wouldn't solve the underlying problem, which is that there simply aren't enough donated organs to go around.

I registered as an organ donor when I signed up to vote, and I'm pretty sure my family all knows my stance on the subject (which is that it's the obvious thing to do and everybody ought to, after all, you're dead at that point, and it's your last good deed EVER).

If you're signing this petition, and you aren't even trying to donate your organs, you're not really as helpful as you think. Look up how to sign up as a donor in your state (non-Americans have to use google), and go tell your loved ones your choice so they don't go against that when you die.

Comments

[dogstar]

I always wonder why we don't move towards making it an opt OUT system intead of opt in, and make it a socially normal thing that of COURSE you donate if you can. I mean, you're not using 'em anymor!

[trialia]

I'm on the donor list, but I registered before that. Wow, I feel so exhausted I keep screwing up words, so, fair warning in case I doze off & miss something. I registered for organ donation a long time ago, before I ever knew my illness was genetic. Now donating seems more like it might kill or damn.

B, I share the decision on getting my -- uh, wow, I just realised I have no clue what I'm talking about any more. Sorry guys. I'll comment more coherently tomorrow.

[conuly]

I believe they check your medical history before giving away your organs. Apparently, many people think they're ineligible who aren't, in fact.

[pne]

That’s what they’re trying to do in Germany.

[invsagoth.livejournal.com]

Aw, that's terrible all around. :(

Me and my husband are both organ donors, it doesn't make sense to not be. I don't think that my mom is still. shes so paranoid that if she's an organ donor a doctor is going to let her die so she can have her organs. Of course, that's ridiculous, and I think that she mostly also doesn't believe it, but it's hard to change that sort of mindset. xP

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Yay, good point; would you please post that as a comment on my post? Thanks!

In my state, they ask at the DMV if you want to be a donor - probably on the grim but reasonable asssumption that healthy organs are most likely to become abruptly available after a car crash - so if one has a driver's license, one has already had the option.

I'm planning to outlive my expiry date (2050), but hopefully there'll still be some bits worth salvaging. Of course, by then they may have cloning.

[conuly]

Sure, will do! Apparently, being listed on your ID is not necessarily sufficient to be counted as "consent". It's better if you make sure your family knows so that, when asked, they know the right answer to give.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I actually CAN donate organs (I can't donate blood; mad cow disease risk), but my whole family knows I want to try and it's on my driver's license as well anyway. And your logic about this specific situation is very, well, logical. Yeah, the real issue is we have more people needing organs than we have spare organs. I wonder if every person in the US was an organ donor, would we have enough, too many, or still not enough? (considering that many organs are not used if they are too old, damaged as in a car accident or other kind of injury, or diseased at the death of the donor).

[jillianfish.livejournal.com]

My whole family are organ donors just because it's the right thing to do. Have you read Stiff by Mary Roach? There's an excellent few chapters about donating your body/ organs to science and what happens to them once you're dead.