Organ donation- and how some clever Dutch promomted it tonight

[Joana]

Okay folks- this is ....I don't even know what to say as I didn't see this ending coming.

Some weeks ago a Dutch TV station announced that they will have a new show. A show that will save a life and also raise awareness when it comes to the fact that not enough organs are donated to save all that need one.

Concept: a terminally ill woman offers to donate one of her kidneys to one of three contestants. The audience can send in short text messages telling her which one deserves the kidney.

Uproar?? Yep. You guessed it. As soon as the announcement was out all of Europe was discussing- about the barbaric show (the heads of the TV station said one of the reasons they are doing it is because their former boss died after not getting a kidney...), about organ donation.....there were movements to stop the show as it was deemed unethic.

So far so good. It went on air tonight with millions watching- the lady and her three contestants...................





After two hours it was revealed that all of the show was staged!! Well-not quite all of it as the three needing a kidney were real. But the woman supposedly ill isn't- and it was all staged to create the uproar that it did so more folks discuss the topic and maybe decide to be donators.



While I was appaled at the idea of the show- although it didn't surprise me at all looking at all the stuff that is going on in the world today- when I heard on the news just now that it was all staged my jaw dropped.

And all I can say now is: good job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great job in getting the topic on top of the agenda!!!
I just spent time in the transplant unit of our clinic, which raised my awareness once again of how dire the situation is.

The one thing that irks me is the fact though that folks DID send text messages recommending one contestant or another. How can one sit and decide over a life?? They didn't know that it was staged- so they sort of played God for a second. THAT is very sick..............

[Andiline]

Read that the show was a fake an hour ago. But I read as well that one of the founders of the TV station died a few years ago after he had been waiting for many years for a donated organ....

[Joana]

Originally Posted by Andiline

Read that the show was a fake an hour ago. But I read as well that one of the founders of the TV station died a few years ago after he had been waiting for many years for a donated organ....

Which I mentioned above as well........sad, isn't it?
Here in Germany 80% of the people are for organ donation- but only 12% have a donators pass........when hearing that I sometimes think cynically and say to myself "Why not only give organs to those who carry a pass?? Even if their organs wouldn't be taken- at least they show they are willing to give.....".

The topic is not discussed often enough- which I think has to do with people blanking out the death- subject.


I didn't see it coming that the show was fake- I was sure it was real......so my jaw dropped when I heard that.

[Andiline]

Sorry, didn't see that sentence where you mentioned it...

And yes - who wants to think about him-/herself being mortal and being dead one day? Most people won't. I am thinking about it every now and then but never take any measures - just in case... stupid, I know...

[Sunny20]

read about this just a half an hour ago..

I don't know what to think of it..

[pamplemoose77]

Originally Posted by Andiline

And yes - who wants to think about him-/herself being mortal and being dead one day? Most people won't. I am thinking about it every now and then but never take any measures - just in case... stupid, I know...

i bug my folks all the time to put "organ donor" on their license

i've had that on mine since i turned 16... i don't see what the big hangup is for everyone...

[Rissask]

I had heard about the show and the controversy. Interesting that they faked it...and good if the outcome is that more people become donors.
But did the people who needed the kidneys not know it was staged? If they truly thought they were possibly going to get one, that is kind of cruel.

Originally Posted by pamplemoose77

i bug my folks all the time to put "organ donor" on their license

i've had that on mine since i turned 16... i don't see what the big hangup is for everyone...

I agree, and we have our stickers on our licenses too....when you're dead, you sure don't need your organs any longer. I think some people are afraid they will rush to pull the plug on you, if you are a donor. At least, I have heard that argument before.

[Joana]

Originally Posted by pamplemoose77

i bug my folks all the time to put "organ donor" on their license

i've had that on mine since i turned 16... i don't see what the big hangup is for everyone...

I understand what you mean, having a pass since years myself.

In that aspect our psychology of transplantation lectures were very interesting.
There are many reasons for folks to decide against it- starting with more "obvious" ones, like religion and such (there are certain religions, Shintoism being one of them, that are not in favour of all of this)........

Then there are the "fear" reasons- such as: will they try to make me live less long if I end up in hospital as they want my organs?
Will they maybe turn off the machines when I am still around somehow?
Once people have gotten into the juristical background and the whole procedure usually these can be dispelled easily.

And well- then there is the other "fear" part......the part where people don't like the thought of being cut open, even though they know they won't feel it.
That is also a reason why often relatives do not say yes to organ transplantation.
The psychologist explained this part with the inability to grasp what it means to be dead- that it means you are not there anymore......thus- being unable to grasp it- humans tend to still think on "living" terms, and of course noone alive wants to lose all his organs!

[Joana]

Originally Posted by Rissask

I had heard about the show and the controversy. Interesting that they faked it...and good if the outcome is that more people become donors.
But did the people who needed the kidneys not know it was staged? If they truly thought they were possibly going to get one, that is kind of cruel.


I agree, and we have our stickers on our licenses too....when you're dead, you sure don't need your organs any longer. I think some people are afraid they will rush to pull the plug on you, if you are a donor. At least, I have heard that argument before.

They knew that there was a twist and they knew that the chances are high of them not getting an organ anyway. I saw an interwiew with one of the kidney-needers: she said she was aware that there was a twist and that the main objective was to raise awareness, that she was fine with it. And she was all laughs and smiles.

[pamplemoose77]

Originally Posted by Joana

I understand what you mean, having a pass since years myself.

In that aspect our psychology of transplantation lectures were very interesting.

wow.. psych of transplantation! who knew?! i guess that would be interesting to figure out what people's fears were about it

i never would've thought of the plug being pulled early... interesting. still wouldn't dissuade me from donating though! and the issue with being cut open is foreign to me at this point after 3 surgeries!

funny to think, i can't donate blood while i'm alive, but they can take my organs!

isn't it possible to donate a kidney while you're still alive?

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by Joana

They knew that there was a twist and they knew that the chances are high of them not getting an organ anyway. I saw an interwiew with one of the kidney-needers: she said she was aware that there was a twist and that the main objective was to raise awareness, that she was fine with it. And she was all laughs and smiles.

Oh....well, I guess they knew it wasn't a sure thing...that's good then I guess.

[Joana]

Originally Posted by Sunny20

read about this just a half an hour ago..

I don't know what to think of it..

As in....??

Do you mean wether it was good or bad or????


I think it is awesome!! Like I said- I didn't like it when it was real.....like millions of others all over Europe. Man, the uproar there was here about all of that.........

Now, knowing that it was all staged to create exactly that uproar and make people talk about the subject all I can say is YAY.

The last days tons of folks here- from politicians to artists to what have you were discussing the topic, there were little specials about it. And of course every time the show came on there was also reporting about organ donation in general................so the outcome of this is great.

[katejane]

Yes, that show has been all over the news here in England too. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but then i have never been a fan of any of these reality shows. I'm actually glad to hear that it was staged, i didn't understand how such a sick concept could possibly be aired, but bravo for hitting the top spot and highlighting the need for organ doners! I too registered as an organ doner on my driving licence however in england it doesn't mean much, the doctors cannot harvest your organs without the consent from your next of kin whether you carry a card or not, seems stupid to me.

My friend Sammi received a lung transplnt a few years ago (she suffers from Cystic Fibrosis), then 2 years ago receied a kidney from her father as all the medication she is on destroyed hers. Check out her website Friends4life - raising awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and the importance of organ donation and transplantation if you are interested. She has been campaigning for greater awareness on this issue pretty much since birth. A truely amazing lady

[Joana]

Originally Posted by pamplemoose77

wow.. psych of transplantation! who knew?! i guess that would be interesting to figure out what people's fears were about it

i never would've thought of the plug being pulled early... interesting. still wouldn't dissuade me from donating though!

funny to think, i can't donate blood while i'm alive, but they can take my organs!

isn't it possible to donate a kidney while you're still alive?

Well- as for the fears....I always tell myself that IF someone would manage to pull the plug without anyone on the outside wondering how the heck my health went down the drain so fast then I must be in a really bad condition anyhow.....so well.
Pulling the plug is not even an option as the donors have to have a circulating system, obviously. The brain is the point of focus in it all really.


And yes, livers and kidneys can be transplanted coming from living donors as well.
There is a massive restriction on the process though as in who can give who and when and whatnot.
AND the medical records of the donor have to be whiter than white.

F.e. if a woman is slightly overweight, takes the pill- no go. As the risk of thrombosis is deemed to high.

[Joana]

Originally Posted by pamplemoose77

wow.. psych of transplantation! who knew?! i guess that would be interesting to figure out what people's fears were about it

i never would've thought of the plug being pulled early... interesting. still wouldn't dissuade me from donating though! and the issue with being cut open is foreign to me at this point after 3 surgeries!

funny to think, i can't donate blood while i'm alive, but they can take my organs!

isn't it possible to donate a kidney while you're still alive?

Oh- and as for the psychology of transplantation.....well, our uni has one of only two surgeries specialized in transplant in Germany (the other one in fact closing soon) and one of the few ones in Europe. So they also have all the psychologists and such that specialize in it, too.