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あなたは臓器提供者ですか?
先ごろ、友人の見舞いに病院を訪れた筆者は、受付に置いてあるドナーカードを目にした。臓器提供という考えは、日本ではまだ定着していないようだが、海外ではかなり一般化している—
Are You an Organ Donor?
By CHRISTINE CUNANAN-NOMURA
Leaving the hospital after visiting a sick friend recently, I noticed a stack oforgan donor cards placed prominently at the entrance in front of a poster urging everyone to take a card and become an organ donor.
For many Japanese, volunteering to become an organ donor is a relatively new concept. My Japanese friends say that the idea of donating one's kidneys or eyes, for example, to a total stranger is difficult to imagine and undertake — both for the donor and for relatives and friends. The bereaved family, in particular, seems to feel the loss more greatly when a loved one dies and the body being cremated is not intact.
In fact, I have heard stories of Japanese who have decided to donate their organs upon their death and who have had their last wishes thwarted by shocked relatives. Other friends have also reasoned that some Japanese are also reluctant to become organ donors for religious reasons.
In certain other countries, organ donorship is much more accepted and even strongly encouraged. It is quite common for a person to carry an organ donor card in his or her wallet in case of accidental death. Some of the most successful organ transplant operations have involved donations from young people who have died in accidents. Many people overseas decide to donate their usable organs when they die so that other people may have a chance to live after them.
"After living a relatively happy life spent thinking mostly about myself, I think it's the least I can do to be of use to other people," explained my French friend Pierre. "I'll be dead, so whether I have my organs intact or not will not matter at all to me at that point. But it will mean a whole world of difference to someone who needs an organ very badly."
Most families of organ donors are supportive of the donor's decision. The parents of one such family told me that donating their son's kidneys to a very sick girl after he died in a car accident helped them overcome their sudden loss. The family has even gotten to know the girl and her family. "It somehow made us feel that Steve's death was not in vain since by dying he was able to give a little girl a second chance at life," explained Steve's mother. "After mourning for Steve for a long time, we can now view the whole idea of experiencing both death and life in a single tragedy through organ donorship as very beautiful."
To be an organ donor or not is a very personal decision that should be respected, not judged as right or wrong. Each person has his or her own life philosophy and principles.
I would nevertheless strongly encourage people to think about organ donorship upon death because so many sick people need healthy organs in order to live. In Japan, organ transplants are still too rare and expensive to undertake so many patients are not given a second chance for life. Those who don't want to give up must make a hard and costly journey overseas for an operation.
If there were organ donors in Japan, many patients might be spared unnecessary hardships and expenses — even unnecessary death. It's never too early to make such a noble and selfless decision. All you need to do is inform your family of your decision and get an organ donor card from your local hospital or health center. Fill out this card and keep it in your wallet at all times.
Leaving the hospital after visiting a sick friend recently, I noticed a stack oforgan donor cards placed prominently at the entrance in front of a poster urging everyone to take a card and become an organ donor.
For many Japanese, volunteering to become an organ donor is a relatively new concept. My Japanese friends say that the idea of donating one's kidneys or eyes, for example, to a total stranger is difficult to imagine and undertake — both for the donor and for relatives and friends. The bereaved family, in particular, seems to feel the loss more greatly when a loved one dies and the body being cremated is not intact.
In fact, I have heard stories of Japanese who have decided to donate their organs upon their death and who have had their last wishes thwarted by shocked relatives. Other friends have also reasoned that some Japanese are also reluctant to become organ donors for religious reasons.
In certain other countries, organ donorship is much more accepted and even strongly encouraged. It is quite common for a person to carry an organ donor card in his or her wallet in case of accidental death. Some of the most successful organ transplant operations have involved donations from young people who have died in accidents. Many people overseas decide to donate their usable organs when they die so that other people may have a chance to live after them.
"After living a relatively happy life spent thinking mostly about myself, I think it's the least I can do to be of use to other people," explained my French friend Pierre. "I'll be dead, so whether I have my organs intact or not will not matter at all to me at that point. But it will mean a whole world of difference to someone who needs an organ very badly."
Most families of organ donors are supportive of the donor's decision. The parents of one such family told me that donating their son's kidneys to a very sick girl after he died in a car accident helped them overcome their sudden loss. The family has even gotten to know the girl and her family. "It somehow made us feel that Steve's death was not in vain since by dying he was able to give a little girl a second chance at life," explained Steve's mother. "After mourning for Steve for a long time, we can now view the whole idea of experiencing both death and life in a single tragedy through organ donorship as very beautiful."
To be an organ donor or not is a very personal decision that should be respected, not judged as right or wrong. Each person has his or her own life philosophy and principles.
I would nevertheless strongly encourage people to think about organ donorship upon death because so many sick people need healthy organs in order to live. In Japan, organ transplants are still too rare and expensive to undertake so many patients are not given a second chance for life. Those who don't want to give up must make a hard and costly journey overseas for an operation.
If there were organ donors in Japan, many patients might be spared unnecessary hardships and expenses — even unnecessary death. It's never too early to make such a noble and selfless decision. All you need to do is inform your family of your decision and get an organ donor card from your local hospital or health center. Fill out this card and keep it in your wallet at all times.
Shukan ST: Sept. 4, 1998
(C) All rights reserved
- a stack of 〜
- 〜 の山
- donor cards
- (臓器提供者が携行する)ドナーカード
- placed prominently at 〜
- 〜 に目につくように置かれた
- poster urging everyone to 〜
- みんなに 〜 するように促すポスター
- volunteering to 〜
- 進んで 〜 すること
- relatively
- 比較的
- concept
- 考え
- kidneys
- 腎臓
- total stranger
- あかの他人
- undertake
- 決心する
- relatives
- 親せき
- bereaved family
- 遺族
- in particular
- 特に
- body being cremated
- 火葬されようとしている遺体
- is not intact
- 完全な 〜 でない
- have had their last wishes thwarted by 〜
- 最後の望みが 〜 によって反対された
- (have)reasoned that 〜
- 〜 と結論づけた
- (are)reluctant to 〜
- 〜 したがらない
- for religious reasons
- 宗教上の理由から
- donorship
- 提供
- (is)accepted
- 受け入れられている
- (is)encouraged
- 奨励されている
- wallet
- 財布
- in case of accidental death
- 事故死に備えて
- transplant operations
- 移植手術
- have involved 〜
- 〜 がからんだものである
- the least I can do
- 私ができる最小限のこと
- be of use to 〜
- 〜 に役立つ
- will not matter at all to 〜
- 〜 にとって全然重要ではない
- very badly
- ひどく差し迫って
- are supportive of 〜
- 〜 の支えになっている
- overcome
- 克服する
- was not in vain
- 無駄にならなかった
- mourning for 〜
- 〜 の喪に服する
- view
- 考える
- single tragedy
- 一つの悲しい出来事
- philosophy
- 哲学
- principles
- 主義
- nevertheless
- それでも
- upon death
- 死に際して
- costly
- 費用のかかる
- be spared unnecessary hardships and expenses
- しなくてもよい苦労や浪費をせずにすむ
- It's never too early to 〜
- 〜するのに早すぎるということは決してない
- noble
- 尊い
- selfless
- 無私の
- inform 〜 of 〜
- 〜を〜〜に知らせる
- local
- 地元の
- Fill out 〜
- 〜に記入する