steen said:
If a person can safely give of their bodily resources and this would result in the saving of a life (Such as giving blood or donate a kidney to somebody dying from kidney failure), should they then be forced to give these bodily resources, even against their will?
As a registered Organ Donor, I am responding fully in memory of my father in law, recently deceased, who also was an organ donor. When he passed away, it was never an option NOT to fulfill his wishes. It also made us, his family, think about how important a choice he made. Just 2 weeks ago, my mother in law was given a plaque in his honor, for HIS choice to be a donor, and OUR decision to follow his wishes.
Listening to Organ Recipients speaking of their hopelessness in their situation, wondering if they would ever get the organ they needed to survive another day, and then their elation at the call being made, and then the realization that someone had to die in order for them to get what they need to live. These are truly special people, who understand that the person who dies gives them another chance at life. These also are the ties that bind families, who otherwise would never have met, together.
I believe with a resounding NO that blood, organ and tissue donation should not be forced, but encouraged through education, and understanding. Because one never knows when their going to have a debilitating disease in one of their organ's, and one never knows when they would have the opportunity to offer a stranger, and fellow human a second chance at life!
