Organ Transplants - should you honour the wishes of the deceased?

Blimey, absent, that is a good question. My instinct is to say the wishes of the deceased should be respected even if the family do not agree with them, but................

As a result of reading this, I have just added my name to the Register - have always carried a card, but this prompted me to actually fill the form in. Thank you.

Thanks for the links, bags, I had forgotten much of what was said on the earlier threads.

That was a good question Absent and my initial reaction was the same as Greatnans but now having thought about it I would try and look beyond the wishes of the deceased and focus on the life or lives that could be saved with the organ donation.

But I dont think you can go against someones wishes, one side of me wants to say I have to help if I can, but then I would be betraying someones trust.

It's one of those questions that is ultimately about the greater good. Yes, you would be betraying the trust of someone who had been alive, but since they are no longer alive they won't know and it will do them no harm. On the other side of the coin, you could help someone who is still alive to stay alive for longer. By refusing an organ you would not exactly be doing harm, but would you be sanctioning harm already in existence that your decision could assist and possibly correct?

If the person who was against organ donation was someone close to me, I might well try to persuade them while they were alive. I might even tell them that I didn't want to be held by such a wish once they were dead. In which case they could get some sort of legal injunction against me, I suppose.

That wouldn't bother me because I would have done my best to make sure what I felt was right happen. If it was prevented from happening by someone else, I might be sorry for it, but I wouldn't be responsible for any wrong (or harm, or lack of help to someone else) that then ensued.

So, unless forbidden by law, I think I would override such a wish.

This does not mean I would necessarily override other wishes. It would depend on the circumstances each time. So I guess I'm saying that I don't think a dead person's wishes need always be followed, and especially not when someone stands to gain from those wishes being ignored.

I guess that means I'm largely in favour of an opt out organ donor arrangement such as there is in France (according to Greatnan).

My brother had a feud with my sister and wanted to cut her out of his will and make me the sole heir. When he died, I shared his estate with her, 50/50, because I thought his will was spiteful. I didn't feel any compunction in ignoring his dying wish.

If we had the opt out then I wouldnt need to have the fight with myself.

I think you just have to ask yourself if you would want a transplant for yourself or somebody you loved. If the answer is 'yes', then surely you must be willing to give your own organs or any over which you have control.

Neatly put.

Your right greatnan

My husband knowing there was not a lot of time left to him, obtained a DNR order with instructions to give for transplanting anything that could be used

When the time come, I agreed to his wishes. THIS HELP ME AND HIS FAMILY TO acknowledge THAT IT WAS HIS DIEING WISH.Its not for everyone but for myself it was the last thing I could do for my loving partner.

tiana brave lady

Well done, Tiana, you showed your love by respecting his wishes.

Tiana . It was the last thing you could do for him, following his wishes as you did.
I've been on the Organ Donor Register for a few years and I carry a card as well. DH hasn't registered and doesn't carry a card, but we've spoken about it, and he would want any/all of his organs donated.