I strongly believe in organ donation. If your brain has ceased to function and you have healthy organs that can give the gift of life and health to others, why not? And, your family and friends can also appreciate that something good came out of a tragic death.
I hadn’t thought much about organ donation in Panama, but it happens here also according to some information I’ve found on line. http://www.irodat.org/?p=database&c=PA
Panama’s first heart transplant in 2016. Transplants haven’t been done as much or for as long as some other countries, but Panaman is coming along.
What got me thinking about this today is an article and video I saw this morning. http://www.trendingly.com/walk-of-respect When a donor is wheeled from ICU to the operating room, the hospital staff lines the halls in a silent show of respect for the donor and his family. It’s one of the most touching things I’ve seen in a long time. Here’s the video and if you are like me, grab a tissue first.
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The Panama Adventure 
Yep. Needed a tissue. But what an awesome thing to watch. Thanks for sharing, Kris.
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You’re welcome. I imagine it meant a lot to his family.
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Please watch all the way to the end…https://youtu.be/Tz55UkekAGw
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That’s a great video!
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I’m a donor. Well, not YET, anyway, but you know what I mean.
When it comes to transplants my mom was a far-seeing woman. When my brother, Jimmy, died in 1944, 10 years before the first kidney transplant, 19 years before the first liver transplant and 24 years before the first heart transplant, my mom donated my brother’s corneas to help someone else see through his eyes. They’d been doing corneal transplants since 1905 but STILL when you consider the time this happened transplants weren’t as common as they are today and for someone like my mom to be as altruistic in her time of grief to do that amazes me.
While I’m listed as a donor I don’t know what they’ll find of mine worth harvesting. Perhaps my corneas. My heart has three stents in it so THAT’S out. I have a long history of kidney stones and am carrying one rather large one right now according to doctors at Tallahassee Memorial. Perhaps my liver since I’m not a drinker. But they can take what they want because I won’t be using it anymore.
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You never know… bone for grafts to help heal fractures, skin for burn victims, even research and learning. I figure, like you, if there is anything useful left of me they are welcome to it.
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I know better than to watch something like that at work. Needed two tissues geez
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Yes, sorry, it got to me too
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What a beautiful video Kris. I am not using my body once I leave it so if the meat suit helps others, why not, right? Makes sense for all humans I feel. Rocking blog.
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Thanks so much! And I agree.
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I am *so* with you.
🧡
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Thanks!
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Hi Kris from Ontario, Canada….i’ve Just read your recent post and wanted to tell you about a little twist on the organ donation theme, that my hubby plans to make happen when his time comes.. My daughter spent 11 years in post secondary school, and she is now a family physician, and he watched her study and study hard to become a medical doctor. He has decided that he wants to donate his entire body to a teaching hospital, that will use all/many of his “parts”to teach physicians in training. He jokes about his medical issues ( COPD and a prior heart attack) being bad examples, but in all seriousness he wants to be able to make his contribution to the medical community in this unique way. A different perspective for sure. The rest of our family are all registered for organ donation when our time comes !
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Ahh yes, another excellent idea. Actually a body with health problems might be even more useful. As doctor’s treat these conditions in their patients they will know how they appear inside the body. Congrats to your daughter. Family physicians are in short supply and badly needed.
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