This is quite a personal subject for me, so I apologise if my views cause offence.
I think there needs to be a shake-up of how the organ donor register works. I am a big fan of the opt out system. Some people don't care either way, so don't go out of their way to register. If you care enough to not want to donate, you would make sure you were removed from the register.
I know that wasn't what you asked, but needed to get it off my chest.
I think the system there is at the moment works. I don't think anyone should have priority. At the moment, you get put on the transplant list, and you wait your turn. If you get sicker, you get pushed up, which to me, seems fair!
When an organ becomes available, the NHS will go through the transplant list, and pick the two people from the top of the list who both match the blood/tissue type. This ensures that if for whatever reason one person is unable to receive the organ, it isn't wasted. This can be hard, when you are the person who doesn't get the organ.
My Dad (who has since died) was on the transplant list for a kidney and pancreas, for 2 years, receiving dialysis. He got sicker and sicker. He was called to the hospital twice, but both times, the other person called was higher on the list, and so received the organs.
He was told that without a transplant, he had 2 weeks to live, as the dialysis just wasn't effective anymore. Luckily, his doctors were determined that wouldn't happen, and 2 days before his 49th birthday, he received his organs.
Who are we to say who is too old to receive organs? Some people, like my dad, receive organs, and die a few years later. He spent the last 18 months between a hospital bed and a care home, but prior to that, he had another year of life that he wouldn't have had without the transplant. Does that mean, that as his organs only extended his life by 2.5 years, that he didn't deserve them? That they would have been more beneficial to a person who was younger?
Some people live to be 100, some live into their 60's. Who are we to guess who will live long and who won't? My great grannie is 90 on april 2nd, and realistically needs a heart transplant, but, the doctors have said her body would not survive the operation. How do we know that a 71 year old, who receives a transplant won't live to be 100? But then again, how do we know that an 18 year old who receives a transplant won't die before they reach 21?
The simple answer is, we don't!! So for this reason, I think until there is a medical reason for you not receiving the transplant (like your body being too weak to survive the operation) that you should have as much chance as anyone else!!
I know that I, and all of my family, are very grateful for the extra time my dad had, and for the fact that he saw my brother turn 18, get his A levels (which we were told would never happen) and learn that I was carrying his first grandchild (which we were also told may never happen) All this is something that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't received his transplant.
I am on the organ donor register, and I was before my dad became ill. I feel if you would be prepared to receive a donated organ from anyone, or for someone you know or love to receive a donated organ, then you should be on the register! People die waiting for organs, which to me, is shocking! It takes seconds to register! The amount of people I have spoken to who say they would donate organs, but aren't on the register shocks me!
I don't care who my organs go to, I don't feel one person is more entitled to life than another.
Again, as you can probably see, its quite an emotive subject for me, my father only passed away 6 weeks ago, so I am sorry if I have upset or offended anyone with my views.
