Organ Donor Questions for State ID

[LeeFisher3]

Today we ventured off the the Kansas DL office so I could renew my license and get her name changed on her state id. Everything was going great until the lady ask if she wanted to be an organ donor.

 

I answered no and the lady said she had to answer for herself, well the pocket translator was in the car and I explained this was a significant cultural issue that could/would offend my wife. She insisted and said they would wait while I got the pocket translator.

 

So off I go to the car, no running as I'm not in any hurry to ask this question anyway.

 

When I returned I typed in one word in the translator "organ" and then began my question, it went like this:

 

The lady want to know, IF IF IF you die, (she was smiling until the word die) you give organs (point to the pocket translator) to others? I had to help with organs by saying heart and eyes. This got a bad look, but when the lady at DMV got into the act and mentioned skin and other body parts I thought there would be a war.

 

I think it was the first time I heard a hissing sound that loud followed by an extremely loud NO.

 

Now the lady at DMV was somewhat offended and I had to remind her that I had told her this was a significant cultural issue and if anyone should be offended my wife was entitled and she wasn't as she was extremely insensitive to what had been identified as a cultural issue.

 

We got the updated card and left, in the car I apologized to my wife and was forgiven only because the lady made me do it.

[Tine & Ella]

Lee,

 

A different side to your story. I work in Organ Transplant for a living so Ella already knew about transplant, and 13 people die each day waiting for a transplant . We went to the license branch and when they asked her the question about donation she told them she wanted to be a total donor because she could not use them after she was gone. I have several Asian donors each year.

 

Tine

Edited January 18, 2006 by Tine & Ella (see edit history)

[LeeFisher3]

Lee,

 

A different side to your story. I work in Organ Transtlant for a living so Ella already knew about transplant, and 13 people die each day waiting for a transplant . We went to the license branch and when they asked her the question about donation she told them she wanted to be a total donor because she could not use them after she was gone. I have several Asian donors each year.

 

Tine

182505[/snapback]

I think my wife may change her mind on this in the future, but being caught flat footed with the question we hadn't had a chance to discuss it.

 

I'm sure you are aware some converstations can span a number of days.

[tmkeith]

Lee,

 

A different side to your story. I work in Organ Transtlant for a living so Ella already knew about transplant, and 13 people die each day waiting for a transplant . We went to the license branch and when they asked her the question about donation she told them she wanted to be a total donor because she could not use them after she was gone. I have several Asian donors each year.

 

Tine

182505[/snapback]

Funny you mention that. Wei raised the issue with me just last night. We're both for it.

[Tine & Ella]

Lee,

 

For some here the question still catch alot of people flat-footed. But every year more people are siging up to be organ and tissue donors,and there are still many people still waiting for that life saving transplant. But only 3% of people that die are able to be organ donors because they do not have a brain injury to cause brain death such as a massive stroke or head trauma.

 

Tine

[Guest pushbrk]

Today we ventured off the the Kansas DL office so I could renew my license and get her name changed on her state id. Everything was going great until the lady ask if she wanted to be an organ donor. 

 

I answered no and the lady said she had to answer for herself, well the pocket translator was in the car and I explained this was a significant cultural issue that could/would offend my wife. She insisted and said they would wait while I got the pocket translator.

 

So off I go to the car, no running as I'm not in any hurry to ask this question anyway. 

 

When I returned I typed in one word in the translator "organ" and then began my question, it went like this:

 

The lady want to know, IF IF IF you die, (she was smiling until the word die) you give organs (point to the pocket translator) to others? I had to help with organs by saying heart and eyes. This got a bad look, but when the lady at DMV got into the act and mentioned skin and other body parts I thought there would be a war.

 

I think it was the first time I heard a hissing sound that loud followed by an extremely loud NO.

 

Now the lady at DMV was somewhat offended and I had to remind her that I had told her this was a significant cultural issue and if anyone should be offended my wife was entitled and she wasn't as she was extremely insensitive to what had been identified as a cultural issue.

 

We got the updated card and left, in the car I apologized to my wife and was forgiven only because the lady made me do it. 

182294[/snapback]

After what I've read in "the other D word" thread, I think I would have just asked my wife a question I knew would prompt an emphatic NO! and avoided asking the real question. Ain't hindsight wonderful?

[skibum]

Sometimes I think my wife must be from another country. I asked her last night if she had signed her DL to be an organ donor. Yes she has. It may have to do with her mother having been a Dr and learning the importance of donations.

Edited January 17, 2006 by skibum (see edit history)

[Tine & Ella]

Ski,

 

I think the same thing about Ella. Ella said after your death your soul is still alive and why not save others through donation.

 

Tine

[LeeFisher3]

My wife is now studying the drivers handbook and I think she will probably change her mind. I have a feeling the lady at DMV making the demonstration of pealing skin off her arm may have been the decission maker.

 

I was heading down the path of helping others mentioning heart and eyes when she did her demonstration and we got the loud NO.

[cosmiclobster]

I for one am glad the DMV lady got offended with a loud NO!

 

I'm not against organ donation and I have the little pink organ donor sticker on my CA DL., but this is about someone getting caught off guard and getting pushed into making a choice about something that they were unfamiliar with, not to mention the cultural differences.

 

I'm sure that if she has a chance to think about it, she can change her mind later if she wants to and elect to donate once she is familiar with all of the implications.

[skibum]

As I wrote last year, I hope everyone will consider being a bone marrow donor, the Asias in particular as they are in short supply. And, you do not have to die to do it.

Unfortunately, I cannot donate anything now as it is felt that I may pass along the leukemia.

I still remember my wife keeping up with a Chinese guy in Texas who was trying find a donor but one did not show up. He died about the time of my transplant.

[LeeFisher3]

I for one am glad the DMV lady got offended with a loud NO!

 

I'm not against organ donation and I have the little pink organ donor sticker on my CA DL., but this is about someone getting caught off guard and getting pushed into making a choice about something that they were unfamiliar with, not to mention the cultural differences.

 

I'm sure that if she has a chance to think about it, she can change her mind later if she wants to and elect to donate once she is familiar with all of the implications.

183890[/snapback]

You know it could really be easy for all the states to have a book made up with an explanation in probably 10-20 different languages to ask this specific question, but leave it to a backwoods state like Kansas to unoffically demand and English only policy toward getting a State ID card.

[cosmiclobster]

I though Kansas had 3 languages, English, Corn and Cow!!