It is a complete shame that there are people dying all the time of kidney failure, or forced to live on dialysis, when we all have two kidneys, and could easilty give up one. Now, there IS in a few places a system of anonymous kidney donation to total strangers, which has interested me. No remuneration, just doing a good thing for another person. there have been surveys and a surprising number of people have said that they would donate a kidney if it meant saving another person's life, even if they don't know that person.

But... the problem that might hold a lot of people back from donating a kidney is the thought, "what happens if my sole remaining kidney fails? Can I get my old one back? It is too risky".

So I have a solution. Anyone who ever donates a kidney is automatically put to the front of the list if THEIR remaining kidney fails. And also if that one fails. So by donating a kidney there is no risk of you dying for lack of a kidney yourself.

Of course, matches are not necessarily easy to come by, but if enough people signed on it would work.
-- marquisdenet, Mar 10 2009

This does rather disavantage those who are born unikidneyed.
-- calum, Mar 10 2009


I looking into living tissue donation (in the UK, of course) and what held me back was a worry about the administration side of things - it was so complex.

Ideally the person should be doing it for completely alturistic purposes, seeking no benefit in return because this shows that someone is really prepared for the risks involved.
-- Aristotle, Mar 10 2009


if God wanted us to donate our kidneys he would have put zippers on our sides. jk. [+]
-- k_sra, Mar 10 2009


// would never donate a kidney to a complete stranger //

Or you could simply save the kidneys for a loved one, instead of giving it away and having a loved one need it later...
-- xxobot, Mar 11 2009


// if God wanted us to donate our kidneys he would have put zippers on our sides. //

How about "God gave us each an extra kidney so we'd have one to give away"?

To me, the scary thing is the possible complications of the unnecessary surgery on the healthy person, but I do agree that reducing the worry of having to go with one kidney will encourage more people to donate.

What I don't understand is why some people don't mark organ donor on their driver's licenses. You're dead - what need do you have for them now? So what if you can't have an open-casket funeral - you could be giving the gift of life to several people that have a chance.
-- paix120, Mar 11 2009


amazes me the number of governments who can't tell the difference between a driver's license and an organ-donor card.
-- FlyingToaster, Mar 11 2009


A + for the intent. (And the idea).
-- blissmiss, Mar 11 2009


Giving up a kidney doesn't increase your risk very much, because normally anything that will cause kidney failure will get them both. Trauma will usually get one at a time, but they're so well protected that enough trauma to destroy a kidney will usually kill you.

So while this invention plays more to the perception of risk than the reality, I still approve because it is exactly that perceived risk that tends to hold people back from donating.

At the hospital where I donated, organ donors are considered "hero people"; I get a free checkup, and kidney function check, annually. Remember the doctors' Hippocratic oath to do no harm - they already feel a moral obligation to do whatever necessary to make sure you don't end up with problems from donating.

And, [21Q], think of this: in donating a kidney, you end up with an Ultimate Bragging Scar that's almost impossible to top. How's that for selfish?
-- lurch, Mar 11 2009


I think this is a great idea by the way. [+]

I think donation should be a matter of choice, I've got no probelm with people that don't want to donate, that's cool - but how about those people being inelligible for receiving donation themselves? It's funny how flexible some people's beleifs can be then the proverbial hits the fan.

Lastly, I have heard of cases whereby individuals have done all the right things, like mark on their licence/donor card/will/wherever that they wish to donate organs/cadaver/whatever, but the family has moved to block this, and won. Now I dunno if that's just urban myth at work, but I don't think the family has any say in the matter. I'd haunt the crap out of any family member of mine who prevented my organs/corpse from being put to use, as per my clearly stated wishes. My guess is that you don't really hear about cases like this because - who would say anything? Anyhoo - anyone know if there's any substance to this rumor?
-- Custardguts, Mar 11 2009


[21Q] religion is never a reasonable excuse for an unreasonable action
-- simonj, Mar 11 2009


Lots of good points, but I still would like to save my kidney in case anybody I knew needed one...

This scheme wouldn't work if you marked it on your drivers liscence that you would donate... would it?
-- xxobot, Mar 12 2009


You've been watching ER, haven't you?
-- Noexit, Mar 12 2009


FYI. In Israel, if you donate blood, you're given free blood units (if needed) for the following year. And if you donate enough, you get free blood for the rest of your life. Same idea. Both good and should be implemented much more. [+]
-- imho, Mar 14 2009


[imho]-How do they track the donations and ensure the purity I wonder? If we had updated medical systems in place we could do this as well right?

For both as you suggest.
-- blissmiss, Mar 14 2009


[21 Quest] I'm a Christian and there's nothing in my beliefs to indicate that I shouldn't donate my organs once dead. Dust to dust, I don't need my physical body in its old form anymore - and in life, giving of yourself is one of Christianity's basic tenets, is it not?

Also, see Matthew 9:47 "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell" - I'm not sure how something like a kidney could cause one to sin, but it proves that any Christian thinking they need all organs to be 'whole' has been mislead.

And I did read your first anno and think that not saving someone because they may use their new-found health via your kidney for evil is a stupid reason. And I don't call things stupid often. And you wouldn't be responsible if they did - lovingly giving a body part to another human being to save their life puts no responsibility on your shoulders for their future actions. If they go off and commit sins, the burden is on their shoulders, not yours. (Even if they received your donated shoulders.)

You may think you're somehow preventing future misdeeds, but you may also be preventing future acts of heroism and love and greatness. How come that doesn't bother you as much and you don't similarly hold yourself responsible for what your stranger recipient could achieve with their life had you given them a chance?
-- paix120, Apr 08 2009


Well, you said it. Fair 'nuff.
-- paix120, Apr 08 2009



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