Organ donation idea a ‘body-snatching’ pitch

I am a passionate supporter of freedom and democracy. I have a daughter who I have brought up to understand how hard previous generations of women have fought for the freedom and choices we women now have.

My daughter has just turned 16 and I am ensuring that she will be on the electoral role for any October referendum on island-wide representatives. I will discuss the pros and cons of the choices with her and encourage her to vote and make her own decision in the ballot box – otherwise what would be the point? I tell you this just to underline how seriously I take democracy and our hard-won freedom.

Now I have explained my belief in democracy and the freedom it should bring, I hope you can imagine my horror to learn of the proposal that organ donation should be the default position on our death. In other words, the government would own our deceased bodies without our active consent.

Because I support organ donation (and for many years was a blood donor) Opting Out would be against my wishes – but if passed into law Opting Out would be the only option I would have of making a stand for my personal freedom and taking back control and ownership of my body.

Do any of you consider this proposal to be the beginning of a somewhat frightening, Orwellian slippery slope, even when the intention is for the greater good of the community? What, then, if we follow this path? What about blood donation? Bone marrow donation? Hair donation? Body donation for science? (The latter would also solve the shortage of burial land problem.) The list goes on.

There is, undeniably, an issue with low take-up of opting in – this may be because people genuinely don’t want to donate. It may be because they are scared if they carry a donor card it may compromise any emergency treatment they’d need (objectively an irrational fear, but nevertheless a real fear for them) or they’ve told their next of kin their wishes. Or they simply haven’t thought about donation. It is, however, their body, their choice.

Other than raising awareness of the need for donors and encouraging Opt In to be the cultural norm, I have put forward an idea for alternative legislation where everyone over the age of 18 is obliged to register their wishes – this is without the need for this abhorrent deemed consent. A person’s choice would then be held on their medical records with a five- or 10-year compulsory update. I don’t like this either, but it’s more tolerable than being owned by some sort of body part farm.

I generally support the work of the health committee and note the time and dedication States members put into their work. I also feel very deeply for those on donation waiting lists and there but for the Grace of God go I. But I cannot agree with this modern day body-snatching proposal.

Some of you may consider my wording is excessive and harsh about the point I am making and don’t think it warrants consideration. The dramatic content of my letter is fully intended so that you all, if you haven’t already done so, think very carefully about the wider ramifications this latest draconian proposal has.

ANNE LE CHEMINANT