Why Not Use Facebook to Donate Your Organs?

I’ve been reading a lot of stories from major news media outlets along with blog posts and I must say why not use Facebook to donate your organs?

If we look at statistics, there are 157,067,260 American users on Facebook and 114,183 folks on the transplant waiting list. And, daily donor recipient stats are: 79 get them, and 18 die on a daily basis. Even one death is too much!

According to a story by Mike Stobbe in Bloomberg Businessweek, “Like: Facebook Feature Spurs Organ Donor Signups” 6,000 people signed up to be organ donors on the first day of the offering (May 1). Donate  Life America says on the average day, only 400 people signup to be an organ donor. This is really a no-brainer!

What Counts: Your Driver’s License or Your Facebook Page?

It seems the latest buzz is what will count to prove you’re an organ donor—your driver’s license or your Facebook page? In my opinion, this is a moot point.

Let’s say you have both; you’re an organ donor via your license and have committed to being one by signing up on Facebook. If you become deceased and your organs are usable, your relatives already know what your desires are so they’ll make the final call on whether to donate or not donate.

We’ve all seen those hospital TV shows where they ask the “next of kin” if they can harvest a loved one’s organs. I have never seen them digging through the deceased’s pockets for their driver’s license to see if they are an organ donor, nor do they look for a donor card (you get a neat donor card when you sign up in your state via the Facebook page). It’s really up to the next of kin.

For years my husband frowned at the organ donor option. Even though I was for it, he protested and always told me if I died and my organs could be salvaged, he would say no, it didn’t matter what I signed—he would stop it.

And, I’m dead so what could I do—nada folks, nada!

The Life of a Brother-In-Law

There are too many Americans that think needing an organ or being an organ donor is something they will never have to think about. They rely on the family history of being healthy and living healthy and they want to take all their organs (so to speak) with them when they die.

Unfortunately, the amount of organs needed on a daily basis is not always the result of a disease like diabetes. People’s kidneys fail from infections or they may have hereditary liver issues. What if someone’s corneas fail and they can no longer see? What are you going to do with your corneas when you’re gone? Do you really need to see something inside that dark casket and if you choose cremation, your organs are gone baby gone.

My brother-in-law needed a kidney and if I would have been a match, I would have given him one of mine. He was lucky enough to get one, however, and because of that kidney, instead of dying at the ripe old age of 40, he got to live another 10 years.

Ten years may not seem like a lot to you if you’re healthy, but mark my words everyone knows someone or someone who knows someone in need of an organ transplant.

I’m assuming here you are one of the 157,067,260 people who have a Facebook page. My only question is why aren’t you registering?

The human body is only worth about five bucks and you really can’t “take it with you.” So, again, log in to your Facebook account and signup and shame on you if you don’t!

And finally to my sisters, yes I know, if my kidney failed, you’d all want to give me one of yours! Ditto here!

Bloomberg Business Week story 

Image Credits:

Dream designs/FreeDigitalPhoto.net

Screenshot of Facebook Organ Donor page by author