With Facebook now adding an "organ donation" to its timeline feature, Chemobabe, a breast cancer survivor and blogger, brought up an interesting point on her Facebook page: FB plans to add "organ donor" status to the timeline. Cancer survivors aren't allowed to donate organs. Will we look like selfish a-holes? Does the good of drumming up donors outweigh our potential stigmatization? (You can read and post comments here.)The comments are across the board, including those who didn't realize that survivors have limited ability to donate organs and blood, which is a great topic all to itself. The Accidental Amazon touched on organ donation in a recent blog "Blood and Organ Donation After Cancer." Personally, I can't be a bone marrow donor, and it upsets me. I know the need is out there, and there is nothing I can personally do except spread the word on how important it is. But to go back to Chemobabe's point, I think this may be a learning opportunity for both survivors and non-survivors about organ donation. And while cancer patients and survivors may not be able to include "organ donor" on their timeline, they can designate "overcame an illness," but that brings another whole set of questions, doesn't it?Would you designate the date you "overcame cancer" on Facebook?
