Organ donations

I don’t agree with McGuinty’s announcement to reject “presumed consent” organ donation. It’s too bad that with 2,000 people in the province waiting for organs that we can’t use this to save more lives.

Organ donation is a feel-good story, the type that broadcasts close with and papers put on the front page to show there is still good in society. Earlier this month the National Post did exactly that, a two-part series on organ donations that included the story of Kelowna’s Trent Fenwick, who gave a kidney to a man advertising for one at the Matching Donors web site.

In response to this series, Robin Chadnick of Quebec wrote, “Organ donation should not be optional if it means saving another life, but that is easier said than done when fear and unawareness are part of the equation.”

That’s so true. Fenwick’s story makes for a great and emotional read, but take away the feel-good aspect of it and it’s something people don’t know or care about. Sure, people rush to throw money at people when there’s a front-page disaster, but when it comes to un-consumerables, like an organ, there seems to be a collective head-turn away from the issue.

(When researching this I came across the story of 11-year-old Emily Gorman, the Plymouth girl who hanged herself after a family argument. Her parents donated her kidneys.)

The obvious exception is cultural/religious reasons, but I don’t think half of Ontarians are that orthodox. It’s ignorance, and it’s costing lives. Make organ donation mandatory and force people to sign to opt-out. That will force people to be aware.

By the way … yes, I signed mine.