Made me think...

The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital busily occupied with the living and the dying. At a certain moment, a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and, for all practical purposes, my life has stopped.

When that happens, do not attempt to instil artificial life into my body by the use of a machine. And don't call this my death bed. Let it be called the Bed of Life, and let whatever is usable be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.

Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face or love in the eyes of a woman. Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain. Give my blood to a teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of a car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren.

Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist. Take my bones, every nerve and muscle in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.

Explore every corner of my brain. Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that some day, a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a cricket bat, and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window.

Burn what is left and scatter my ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.

If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudiceagainst my fellow man. Give my sins to the devil. Give my soul to God.

If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you, if you do all I have asked, I will live forever.

A wonderful passage!
Archer

Too true :)

Daisy

Agreed!

It is a lovely passage but just another thought.  If you are planning to donate your organs it would only take one relative to object and it will not be permitted regardless of whether you have a card etc.  Sorry to put a dampner on such a lovely piece of writing, but it is something to think about if you really want your organs to be donated.  All my family are planning to donate and we are all aware and none of us will object.

Sue

The passage reminded me of my mum.

When she died (16 years ago) she donated her body to medical science. Most of her organs couldn't be used as she died of a massive heart attack, but there are/were 2 people who are able to see because of her. My family know that I would be quite happy for any/all parts to be donated. Not one of them has objected, in fact my oldest 2 have also said they would donate too. (youngest one is too young)