EWTN.com - Organ Donation: "Organ Donation
Question from Tom Schmid on 9/16/2008:
I realize that this question has been touched on before, please forgive me but I still am somewhat puz zled. I am currently a blood donor. I am considering becoming an organ donor as well. However, I have heard horror stories of medical facilities harvesting organs for a recipient before the donor has expired. If I donate my organs, am I furthering the cause for the culture of life or am I providing the means for furthering the cause for the culture of death? In essense, which avenue would be more in line with Catholic teaching?
Answer by Judie Brown on 9/16/2008:
Tom
The important thing to know is that as the Church teaches, there is something charitable about donating organs, but that the process of taking those organs can never CAUSE the death of the donor.
There is a very interesting article about this on line and you may want to read it. The article, 'Organ donation: the grim harvest' by Paul Byrne, M.D. is at http://www.clmagazine.org/backissues/2008JA_byrne.pdf
You will find a 'life support directive' with the article.
Judie Brown"
If you're willing to accept an organ transplant should you need one, you should sign up to be a donor.
ReplyDeleteOver half of the 99,000 Americans on the national transplant waiting list will die before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate about 20,000 transplantable organs every year. Over 6,000 of our neighbors suffer and die needlessly every year as a result.
There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage -- give organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.
Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.