Why talk about your choice in the Donor Register?
Talking about your choice in the Donor Register is important. But why is it good for your loved ones to know how you feel about organ donation? You can read about that here.
Everyone aged 18 and over is in the Donor Register. In it, you indicate whether or not you want to donate organs and tissues after your death. Or whether you want to let someone else decide. It is important that you also discuss that choice with the people who are important to you.
Why talk about your choice?
If you pass away and you are able to donate organs or tissues, doctors always check the Donor Register first. The doctor will discuss the choice recorded there with your loved ones. For your family or a partner, this can be a difficult moment. They are already grieving and are then suddenly confronted with your choice in the Donor Register. If they already know your choice, they know what to expect. That provides peace of mind. And it prevents confusion or doubt from arising. It makes an already difficult moment no heavier than it needs to be.
That is why it is helpful, for example, if your partner and loved ones already know that they have been designated to make a choice. Or that they know you are consciously registered as 'no objection to donation' in the Donor Register. Or, conversely, consciously as yes or no.
'Mats said they could have everything, except his eyes and skin'
19-year-old Mats was in a serious accident, after which it quickly became clear that further treatment was no longer possible. Then organ donation was brought up. Fortunately, his parents, Niels and Litania, knew exactly how Mats felt about this. 'Mats had spontaneously said: they can have everything from me, except my eyes and skin.'
Who do you talk to about your choice?
Of course, you can share your choice in the Donor Register with anyone. But for some people, it is extra important that they know how you feel about donation. These are the people with whom the doctors will discuss your choice in the hospital. These are:
- Your partner
- Parents or children
- Other family members
- Possibly: the person you have designated to decide on your behalf regarding organ and tissue donation
How do you talk about your choice?
Sometimes people don't know how to start a conversation about their choice in the Donor Register. That is normal. But it doesn't have to be a heavy conversation if you don't want it to be. You can simply discuss it while cooking, while taking a walk, or while having a cup of coffee.
