There is alot involved in this question you are asking.
I'm going to give you a slight run down on some of this.
When you sign your donor card, if you live in the USA,
you better be sure to make your wishes known to your
family...cause after you die, the family will have the
final say of whether the organs will be donated or not.
You cannot sell your organs. They have to be freely
given. However, a transplant of an organ can cost,
not in the $1,000 of dollar range, it costs in the
$100,000 of dollar range.
http://www.transplantliving.org/beforethetransplant/finance/costs.aspx
You must have the best insurance to pay all this, or you must find a way to pay for it all. You will not receive a transplant if you don't. You can raise funds through chariable organization, or fund raisers, etc. If you look on the web about paying for a transplant, you will find many trying to raise funds for it.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1514702
Just because you need a transplant, doesn't mean you
are automatically placed on the transplant list...it requires
extensive testings and seeing different doctor before
you are placed on the list. When you are placed on
the list, you will be placed on there according to how
long you have to live without having a transplant.
Those who are healthier are placed at the bottom and
those who may have only hours or days left, are placed at
the top of the list. They look at your blood work to decide
this. You are place on the transplant list according to
your blood type.
You may die on the list. Organs are in short supply.
If you reach the top of the list, you may be too weak for
surgery. Most transplant patients are mal nourished
when they get to the top of the list. Those with heart
disease may not be able to withstand the long hours
it takes for certain kinds of transplantation. There are
no guarantees that come with this type of operation.
The transplant anti rejections drugs are very high priced.
You need to have very good insurance coverage to
cover these drugs. There are no known generics for
these drugs cause not many people use these drugs,
so it doesn't pay companies to make them since there
isn't much profit in doing it for just a select amount of
people.
There are very real risks with this surgery...just as
there are with all surgery. Many would like to become
living donors and give parts of their organ or even
a whole organ like a kidney. This has taken people
off of life long dialysis and given them back their freedom.
Many transplants are successful, with all the new
drugs they have to prevent rejection. But the
immune suppressive drugs, make them more
able to contact things, like other illness from those
around them...because their immune system is
kept very low and their bodies do not have much to
fight other things that come along. These drugs also
have side effects, just like all medications does.
There are religious/nationalities aspects of this also. Some
nationalities believe the body is sacred after someone
dies, and that it should not be touched by anyone but
male member of the family. Some families believe that
only family members are allowed to prepare the body
for burial...not everyone is aware of this.
It gives a person a second chance at life. They will
be able to spend more time with their loved ones and
watch their children grow and make more many
happy memories.
They will look at life totally different now, it is a learning
experience, they will notice more the important things
in life...like closeness of family, love, creation, and
things that are material will not seem as important and
they will be more forgiving and not hold grudges.
This is just a few things that may become a reality to them.
They will be more thankful for even the small things others
may take for granted and for each breath of life after that.
A person who receives a transplant, has a difficult decision
to make. Especially, if a family member wants to donate.
The what if something happens to the family member
during this operation where the transplanted person lives
through it, but the donor family member does not or
have complications because of it. This is not a decision
to be made lightly. Also, the fact that another person has
died and their family is grieving their loss and someone
is standing there waiting to take their organs of someone
they love. The organ can be taken when they are
declared brain dead and body placed on machines to keep
their body functioning or it can be taken when the
heart completely stops.
Many transplant patients are able to go on with their
lives and live pretty well normally. This is especially
true of young children who are just starting their life.
It is a miracle to watch someone so sick now be
able to do things, look normal, and able to be with
the family which would not of happened if they did
not have this chance.
I could go on with alot more, but instead, I'm going to
give you a link about a liver transplant and what is
involved so you can read more yourself.
http://www.surgery.usc.edu/divisions/hep/patientguide/index.html
Now, I will answer your question. Should it be required?
No, it should not be required. You should have the
right to decide if and when you give the organ based
on what your own background is, your own beliefs,
your own personal ideals.
I hope this answered some questions for you. It is
wonderful if people give their organs to help those who
want to live and to save a life. Many will die without
the gift from others. But, people have to way all this
and decide for themselves if they want to do this.
I don't believe it is right to place anyone on the list
automatically and then they have to tell others to
remove them. I believe that would place people in
a position of worrying if someone has them still
placed there if they don't agree with it. If someone
is on the list, they should sign up to be placed there.
I want to add something here...not every organ that
is donated, is able to be used. The surgeon has to
check the organ to see if it is good, has no cancers,
etc. He also has to be sure it matches well with the
patient themselves and is large enough. Remember,
this is not a new organ, it is a used organ from another
person...the surgeons has the right to refuse to use it.
Organs also have to be transplanted in a certain time
period or they are no good and may not function.