To give or not to give?

In spite of international uproar and the condemnation of the Dutch donor authority and UK kidney specialists, a Dutch TV station went ahead with the programme The Big Donor, an 80-minute kidney competition in which a terminally-ill woman selected one of three patients to receive her kidney.

The 37-year-old donor, identified only as Lisa, made her choice based on the contestants' history, profile and conversation with their family and friends. This TV programme was attacked internationally on all fronts. Basically, it was unethical and tasteless and as many held this "unorthodox way of donating organs can only further harm people's perception on organ donation".

The results of a CNN.com online poll says it all: 2,368 responders (65 per cent) voted it a poor taste publicity stunt, 950 (26 per cent) believed that it highlights a crisis in organ donation and only 335 (nine per cent) replied that they don't care. Why the latter minority group even bothered to vote beats me.

Organ donation is a very sensitive and subjective issue. Those who dread death with a passion and consider it to be the end of all, will, in all probability, refuse to discuss the subject altogether. Others will probably listen but just refuse to donate.

Thankfully, those who look upon death as the beginning of a new spiritual life either choose to sign up for a donor card or make it a point to verbally give their consent during their lifetime to close members of their family.

To fear death is very normal but would we not feel better with ourselves if we could convert our tragic passing away into a magical miracle? Lives can be saved or rejuvenated and sight and mobility can be restored. Personal experiences of these walking miracles are often broadcast on television and, believe me, if the interviewees were members of our family we would be the first to give up our whole selves to save them.

Incidentally, believe it or not, all religions permit organ donations; some encourage it more than others. It is a known fact that living donors often altruistically donate a kidney to close and compatible members of the family.

So what keeps some of us from bequeathing our "precious spare parts" after death? Why would we wish to go to our graves holding on to such wealth? The days of the Pharaohs are surely over!

Even donating blood seems to create problems with some individuals. True that many are willing to part with a pint or two but are, unfortunately, found ineligible to do so. It is also a fact that other willing donors may just not know how to go about it.

But, during last Friday's edition of Xarabank, dealing with blood donations, it transpired that many individuals are simply afraid of donating blood, afraid that they might not have enough left for themselves, afraid that they might contract a disease of sorts and so on. These mistaken perceptions are a sour reality.

Blood is a priceless commodity in life-saving scenarios. As parents, we should encourage our kids to donate blood when they reach adulthood and possibly their organs when they die.

At school, kids should be given the appropriate education on this very complex subject. Mistaken perceptions must be rectified and unfounded fears overcome.

Let's strengthen our resolve to help others in any little way we can. If we cannot succeed in persuading the supposedly mature generations to do so, let's inject a strong dose of solidarity, into the younger generations - surely it won't hurt to try.