Not In My Lifetime

On a couple of occasions, I have heard about people on their deathbed stating categorically that their body be donated to a research laboratory. They consider that as a form of contribution to the body of knowledge that has helped us grow and develop away from the time when massive deaths from epidemics is classified as an act of God.

However, every time I've heard of such, I wouldn't deny how uncomfortable it makes me feel. I am from the side of the world where our departed beloved are treated with utmost respect. In fact, in some cases, the amount of money that goes into celebrating the life of a departed beloved a.k.a burial ceremony is more than enough to start a small scale business.

So, it's unimaginable for someone who's grown up in and around that custom to imagine the organs of a dead family member being donated for whatever purpose. As recently as two years back, there was an uproar in an extended family next to ours because of the dead.

A house was put up for sale. Within a few days the house was sold for a serious amount. The person who bought the house was about to start renovations only to be told he has no right to buy the house. Further questioning revealed that the firstborn son of the man who actually built the house said he will never sell that house under any circumstance. His reason? That was where his grandfather and father were buried.

I have even heard of people who after selling a dilapidated building exhumed the skeleton of their grandfather or grandmother from the land and transferred it somewhere. Over here, people don't mess around with their dead. So, pardon my ignorance because this is probably the first time I'm hearing that some countries actually made it mandatory for organs of dead bodies to be donated.

Well, if I were to find myself in such a place where organ donation is a must, it's going to be difficult for me to cope with at first. I have to admit I need more education as regards it. On the other hand, organ donation is good for the world. Why not just donate those healthy organs to sustain another life on earth instead of serving them on a platter to worms and termites?

Organ donation definitely saves lives as the waiting list for transplants is reduced. Also, in the case where organs are readily available, those of the dark world that have turned organ trafficking into a lucrative venture will be out of business in no time. That makes our environment a lot safer and better than before.

However, as good as organ donation may seem, every answer always leads to a new question; every solution always comes attached with its problems. With mandatory organ donations, medical malpractice will definitely be on the rise. Some greedy doctors will take that liberty to declare death prematurely in a bid to 'lawfully' harvest organs and use for their purposes.

For whatever problems medical malpractice may bring, it will pale in comparison to the cultural and religious confrontations that will arise from the practice. In some cultures till this day, mutilated dead bodies are accompanied to the great beyond with sacrifices to appease the gods. Do you think those with that belief will willingly allow their dead ones to be ripped open all in the name of organ donation? That's not going to happen.

In the end, each one has his own customs or beliefs. A set of people who are already comfortable with cremating their dead will have no problem with organ donations. However, those who revere their dead will never agree to it. You just have to look around to see the amount of burial grounds in this part to understand my point. Mandatory organ donations won't happen here. At least, not in my lifetime.

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