Happy & Healthy

DONOR REGULATIONS

The House of Representatives passed the donor law this week. The numbers: out of 150 seats, there were 75 votes in favor and 74 votes against. If the Senate says yes, then the deal is done. By the way, did you know that we have a donor law thanks to a delayed train? Frank Wassenberg (vote one hundred fifty) from the Party for the Animals wanted to vote against, but was too late. Seriously. Your organs are hitting the market thanks to the Dutch Railways and Frank. Well, sort of.

I have been a donor for about ten years, except for some skin and hair (they call that donation restriction). I filled this out completely wrong the first time on my donor card, so it could have been that they took the bits I actually didn't want. Imagine that, but well, I survived the week in one piece and the crosses are back in the right boxes. I am a donor because I don't use those parts tee-set-tee that much anymore. And I think it's a nice idea that I can still do something useful when passing away. I want a man to get wrinkles with his wife and a mother to see her daughter marry in the most beautiful dress with a train. And if that comes from my heart or kidney? Sure. They don't do anything with me anymore, just take everything. Sounds a bit tear-jerking, but that's it. The restriction is that I want to be laid out as myself. Not that I notice it, but for the people who still want to say goodbye to me in a nice way.

But do you know what happened after the vote in the House of Representatives? 4495 people deregistered as donors. And I don't mean the no-donors among us who don't want to be donors. But donors who did donate things before and now don't anymore. I haven't chatted with them, but this does brush against a statement, don't you think? And maybe those 4495 former donors have a point. Because your body is yours and should it just be available like that? ‘Yes, but can't you just slam a big no-check on that donor card?’ Isn't that the world upside down? You should really consciously say ‘yes’, right?

If you have no donor aspirations, that's totally fine. It's your body and you are in charge. I know someone who doesn't see such a parade of the body sitting well, fine. And in the Lord's spheres, it's unusual because you need everything when Jesus comes back to earth. I get it, I respect it, I'm okay with it. But do you know what I find so unfortunate? That because of this law, 4495 conscious people are no longer available. A person who has thought about such a card. Talked with friends until three in the morning about why you should do this or why maybe not. Such a waste, right?

I don't know the solution because that donor waiting list is too long and the list of donors is too short. But is this the solution? For my part, make the civil servant at the passport counter a donor recruiter. You see thousands of registered (also a pleasant idea) citizens struggling by on a daily basis. People who really want to and are bumping against the necessity in the form of a donor ambassador. Done with the forgetting-to-fill-out, but also with being automatically available. And what do you think, is the donor law a yes or a no for you?