General Question

gailcalled's avatar

How many of us have "Organ Donor" cards in our wallet?

Asked by gailcalled (54644points) June 30th, 2008

Maybe today’s the day to do it. Write a statement on a small card and find two witnesses. Put in wallet.

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

36 Answers

AstroChuck's avatar

As I had Hepatitis in 1980 my organs are no good to donate. However, I do have my eyes listed on the donor card in my wallet as the lens of the eye are not vascular.

gailcalled's avatar

Good for you. My organs are pretty old but maybe some of them might be useful.

lefteh's avatar

Here in Ohio, when we get our drivers license we are asked if we would like to be an organ donor. If the answer is yes, our license displays a logo reflecting the decision. So yes, I suppose I have an organ donor card in my wallet.

richardhenry's avatar

I’m in the UK so the donor register works a little differently (no cards, you just give them your passport number) but yes, I’m on it. Everyone should be!

vectorul's avatar

Yes on my DL.

Bsilver's avatar

My drivers license has a little heart on it that says I’m a donor, I think more people would be donors if they didn’t believe the myth that they won’t try and save your life if you’re an organ donor, they’ll just let you go…

It’s not true, needless to say, I mean, you can’t use an organ from a dead body…

gailcalled's avatar

EMTs do not look thru your wallet or purse when they are trying to save your life. That is a myth that I can’t believe anyone believes. Spread the word, all.

cookieman's avatar

Yup. There’s a little heart on my Drivers License to indicate it. Have been for years.
Not like I’m gonna need them when I’m dead.

richardhenry's avatar

@Bsilver: Who believes that myth? I’ve never even heard of that before!

AstroChuck's avatar

Of course, maybe you do have cause for concern. Has anyone seen Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life?

hearkat's avatar

Mine is on my Driver’s License, too.

Bsilver's avatar

@Richardhenry- there are quite a few people around here who believe that, when I told some of my friends and aquaintances that I was a donor they looked at me and said “didn’t you know that if you’re an organ donor, they won’t do everything to save your life?”

I turned to them and said “didn’t you know they can get sued if they don’t do everything in their power to save my life?” (assuming of course the patient isn’t under a “do not recussitate” order…)

Those friends are now organ donors themselves.

jlm11f's avatar

>> proud registered donor.

and you don’t have to wait till you are dead to start contributing, GO DONATE YOUR BLOOD now. Red Cross is in dire need of blood these days, their supplies are very limited due to tons of natural disasters across the world. In our town, there are Red Cross Drives almost every week these days. Find the nearest drive to your home and go donate some blood!!

Bsilver's avatar

also to supplement PnL’s answer, even if there isn’t a blood drive nearby, there are usually donation offices in every major city, look ‘em up!

syz's avatar

I have it on my license and in my will.

phoenyx's avatar

on my driver’s license

willbrawn's avatar

I have it on my drivers license.

elchoopanebre's avatar

Wow, you’re all organ donors.

cookieman's avatar

@pnL: Great point

osullivanbr's avatar

I’m married. I’m not allowed have a wallet.

fabulous's avatar

And you never will hahaha

mzgator's avatar

Proud donor with the heart on my license to prove it!

jrpowell's avatar

My permit reads, “Upon my death, I want to be anatomical donor.”

Allie's avatar

My DL indicates that I’m an organ donor. I also donate blood when I can. I couldn’t when I came back from Europe, when I got my piercings, or when I got my tattoo.

shilolo's avatar

@Astrochuck. FYI, I don’t know what type of hepatitis you are talking about, but we do use organs from people who had Hepatitis A and B in the past, so, you could still be a donor is you so wanted. In any event, all donors are screened for infectious diseases by the organ donor network before the organs are donated.

Knotmyday's avatar

I plan to be. It’s a good reason to stay in shape…They may not want my liver, though. :^D

gailcalled's avatar

@Knot; just so it outlives you!

shrubbery's avatar

Can you register as an organ donor if you are under 18, or do you parents make that decision if the unthinkable happens…?

jlm11f's avatar

You can register but i think you need parental consent (like a parent signature on the paper) if you are under 18 (if you are in USA)

shrubbery's avatar

Well I’m in Aus, I’ll have to look into it :)

lefteh's avatar

@shrubbery and PnL: I’m a minor, and I didn’t need any sort of parental consent to register.

drhat77's avatar

i’ve got the heart on my DL

the organ donor myth is in part spread by the African American Community – in the 1930’s and 40’s in the US a horrible atrocity known as the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male (yes every bit as horrible as it sounds) was perpetrated on a very large scale on american blacks, and they have been very understandingly mistrustful of government run medical systems (experiments, hospitals, free flu shots, what have you) ever since. In my experience in inner city hospitals African Americans are less likely to agree to having their family declared brain dead – I think a lot of them still think we do it just to take out their organs – its sad but i don’t know how to overcome this cultural barrier. If i’m not mistaken it also severley affects Black blood donation, which is a problem because Blacks have a higher percentage of B type blood than whites do.

webmasterwilliam's avatar

I used to have it, but now I don’t after some of the abuse I’ve read about. I would be more inclined to have my donor spot on my license filled it if I could be more specific, but I should really rethink the issue. Thanks for asking. Get’s me thinking about it again.

gooch's avatar

I am an organ donor and my license proves it. Man how could I not be I recycle everthing.

Zen_Again's avatar

Don’t leave home without it.

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