“What Happens When…?”: 40 Interesting Pics That Answer This Question About The Most Random Moments In Life

My brother felt useless for his entire life. He often questioned why he'd even been born. When he died unexpectedly at 33, we donated his organs. In the US, after a certain amount of time, donor families and recipients can arrange to meet. The lady who got my brother's liver was a health food addict. She hated processed stuff. After her operation, she awoke craving a hot dog, which was one of my brother's favorite foods.... The man who got my brother's heart and lungs told us his only goal in life had been to live to see his son graduate high school. His voice broke as he said, "And now I get to play with my grandchildren." ... Those were the only two that contacted us, but both had twenty extra years of life.

I’m from the UK and I carry a donor card, it’s on my medical records and my family know my wishes, It’s the last nice thing to do as a human, not like you need organs after death.

Everyone needs to sign up to be an organ donner (unless you have in illness or something that stops you from doing it), your dead, your organs arn't gonna do anything for you anymore, give em to someone who needs them.

Here in Aus becoming a donor is 'optin' - since we benefit from social health I personally believe everyone should be on the donor list with the option to 'opt out' - generally, only those with strong objections (for any reason at all) will got to the 'bother' to opt out.

My sister was denied being an organ donor after death due to her history and cause of death. This was June of 2021 when she passed. I still get a letter/ card every holiday from the arkansas chapter of aurora thanking me for at least trying. They are very kind and considerate.

In the US too, and the hospital staff (I'm an ICU nurse) receives the letter as well. Taking care of these patients is very difficult...it's very technical and task oriented. You need to maintain their blood pressure within certain parameters in order to adequately perfuse and maintain vital organs. It's also important to maintain the pH of the blood and body....so ventilatory support and multiple blood gas checks (via blood work) and other labs, including electrolytes and kidney function tests are necessary. It takes two highly skilled RN's and a dedicated respiratory therapist to do this. Once precurement details have been determined the patient is wheeled out of the ICU to the OR. The whole area is quieted and some OR cases are put on hold. Staff (OR, ICU, Resp therapy etc.) somberly line the hallways to pay their respect, as family members walk alongside the stretcher to the OR door and say goodbye to their loved ones. It's quite sobering. I always cry.

This should be a MUST in every country !!

That's nice. My SiL passed away unexpectedly two years ago this April and he was an organ donor. My daughter only finds out where his organs went if the recipient want's to reach out. I think she's only gotten on letter to date.

When you donate blood in the UK, they also tell you what hospital it gets sent to, which is very cool to know.

I cannot live this enough. I sincerely wish the American medical system did the same!!

I have a letter like this stored safely at home. My partner passed away in 2016, I also have letters from the recipient and a drawing done by a 7yr old thanking us and telling us that he feels a lot better now. its a truly amazing thing to do.

They need to do this is the US as well.

They also do this for donated blood, they send you a text message when it gets used.

I wish they did this in the states. My fiancé wound up being a donor but assistant we aren't allowed to know about anything. It really would make me feel better to know how he continues to be a hero in death.

How wonderful.

This is awesome! I wish every country would do something like this!

I'm from the UK and am on the doner register and did not know this wow !

I think this is awesome! I would want to know.

My husband received a liver transplant just this past August. We have no idea (live in Utah, US- NO we're not Mormons) who his donor was. We hope to meet the family one day and thank them for their selfless gift. My husbands only 45, and without it he would've passed away before getting to meet our first grandchild (a lil girl we call Bean) that was born 6 weeks afterwards. He wouldn't have been able to be at our youngest sons wedding Oct. 31... I'd love to show them... we hope one day to be able to do that.

What a wonderful way to let the grieving family of the donor know how much that their loved one's organ donations made a difference in other's lives. Although they have list their loved one, I would feel better knowing that they helped someone else have a better life or live. It should be standard.

I am very happy that I am on the donor list, I think it is absolutely amazing to be able to save other people's lives or give them good quality of life again, and I don't even have to do anything, because I'll be gone anyway.

This is perfect.

MY NH/USA drivers license indicates organ donor. Any body that knows me knows I want to give to those that don't have, anything I am no longer using. Let college kids practice on the other bits.

I think that's nice, it's what I'd want when I die. Even if you think you're indestructible it's worth speaking to close friends or relatives about your wishes if you die. I got a donor sign on my boots club card and my husband knows my wishes.

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Wow, that's amazing. All countries should do this.

This is beautiful. Their loved ones live on in others and to know they gave the greatest gift of all-life-after losing theirs is amazing x

yes, they did that when my brother died and had agreed to donate his organs

I am registered as an organ donor. I have a pretty rare blood type AB+ I really like the idea of my family knowing where mine went.

I'm an organ and tissue donor. I became one when one of my friends needed a lung transplant at the age of 25. She has since passed but because of the transplant we had an extra 3 years with her.

This should be a universal thing!