RIP random hot Canadian skier...

[Darth Biscuit]

I don't think ski jumping is all that much more dangerous than a lot of other activities... she was doing what she loved and was obviously good at... great way to go if you ask me.

As far as being an organ donor goes... if I have to lay in a coma or something for a while so someone else can live longer... fine by me.

[charlotte49er]

I'll get flamed but I don't care.. but why do people feel bad for people who do insanely risky stuff?? they know they could die doing it but yet we all mourn and cry and blame god etc it's lame and contrived.

Firefighters, soldiers, police, EMT's etc all have risky jobs. By your senario we shouldn't feel sorry for someone who falls in the line of duty!

I feel sorry for her family and that she was taken WAY too young. It's sad to me that she didn't get to live out her life and grow old.

Several years ago, before I got my van, I had to ride the CATS "shorty bus".

We picked up this 20 something, drop dead gorgeous woman who was blind and used a seeing eye dog. I felt sorry for her. So young and so gorgeous, she was going to her job in a hair saloon. (I didn't ask her what she did.)

Later that day, I was still feeling bad for her when I realized that neither she nor I want people to feel bad for us. We both are dealing with what life has dealt us and we are both alive to carry on our lives. We are both free to make our lives what we want.

It's the people who can't do that, that are taken too early, that I feel badly for.

(To a much - much lesser extent for someone who has wasted their life due to drugs or alcohol. )

[cookinwithgas]

I know this is insensitive too, but...

That is why I dont want to be an organ donor. She would have died the first night if they didnt have her hooked up to machines to keep her organs alive til they could be transplanted. I hope she wasnt suffering for those 9 days. RIP.

That's a really, really lame excuse. And a pretty bad explanation. Do you really think that they kept her alive solely for the purpose of harvesting her organs?

[Cold Cat]

Random is really a fugged up way to put it. I'm from NC but now live in Canada. She wasen't random to us. So watch what you say. I'd hate for someone to do something like that to you.

[Jbro]

I'd hate for someone to do something like that to you.

Make me do ski tricks eh?

[cookinwithgas]

Well of course. When the artery that supplies blood to your brain is severed, you are a goner, and it doesnt take long.

In order to preserve your organs, in most cases, they will keep you on life support until the patient is ready for the transplant. It is easier to transplant a 'living' heart or liver than one that has been in a cooler for a week.

I know that a situation like that isnt a big deal to most people, but I have heard too many horror stories about people being awake during surgery, or waking from a coma, saying that they were in terrible pain for weeks before they "woke up" but didnt have a way of communicating it.

I dont want for anyone to change they're mind about donating organs, but that id why I dont want to. Besides, mine are probably no good anyway after all the poo I used to do when I was younger.

and I feel like I am derailing the thread, so I'll leave it at that. RIP.

I don't think you are derailing anything as this thread has kind of gone DOA, and I appreciate your concern - but as you stated she was not going to wake up, the blood to her brain was not working so she was incapable of thinking or feeling anything - and even if, for arguments sake she could, I would imagine the doctors would understand if there was a chance of that and put in some pain meds.

Yes, keeping organs alive and functional as long as possible before transplant is vital to the chances of success. And compared to the idea that you could help save many lives with your donation, it seems to me that the remote chance of something like you are describing being in any way accurate is far outweighed by the good you would do for others.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organ-donation/FL00077

full disclosure: I am a transplant recipient who has been able to live a wonderful life the past 10 years thanks to a thoughtful motorcyclist. I've gotten to see my daughter graduate high school, gotten remarried to a wonderful wife and 2 stepkids, and seen the Panthers in the Super Bowl.

[cookinwithgas]

theres no offending going on - this is an intensely personal decision and its something everyone should be able to choose for themselves. I'm just an advocate and always take the opportunity to educate people based on my experiences and research on the subject.

[Floppin]

I basically grew up on a ski mountain, I did competitions as a kid and teenager and was a ski/snowboard instructor for 12 years. 99% of ski injuries happen to idiot beginners who jump onto difficult terrain before they even know how to stand up on their skies, or are just on terrain that is well past their ability level. For veteran skiers, (outside of some of the more extreme cases) riding is no more dangerous than riding a bike or playing any organized sport. Freak accidents happen, and you unsympathetic assholes are just that, assholes.

[Hawk]

died doing what she loves...got to respect that!

[charlotte49er]

2 pnts I want to make about organ donation.

I know a guy here in Charlotte, actually he lives in Kannapolis. He makes Damned good money transferring donated organs. he's on call 24/7/365 days a year. When there is a match of someone here in and around Charlotte to the Organ bank, he is charged with chartering a plane to go anywhere, get the organ and bring it back. National Airlines fly him for free. However, time is of the essence. (He had so many Fliers miles that he would never have to pay for a trip again.) Talk about the VIP trreatment. He never went through security, he had one of the airport golf carts pick him up and take him to the gate or from the gate. (I guess a Igloo coller saying HUMAN ORGAN will get you that. :D)

If the National airlines can't get him a direct flight, then, there is a national registry of private aircraft, he can call upon. Race teams, car owners, CEO's, CFO's, Multi-national Corp, sign up for this. He calls and the Pilot & Co-pilot meet him at the airport. (Concord Regional usually.) and have the jet fueled and ready to take him where he's needed to make the pickup and get him back.

2nd) The US Military has or is changing their policy. Used to be the only way that they would keep a soldier on life support was is there was a close relative to Germany. (Rare.) Even if the soldier was an organ donor. Now the militray will place the soldier on life support "Where technically feasable" in order to get him/her to Germany so their organs can be donated.

[Seal (SmittyIsOurSavior)]

Dan Wheldon.

[Cold Cat]

Make me do ski tricks eh?

Sorry Jbro. I forgot how literal we have to be on this board.

Hope no one you know in the sports world suffers such a horrific incident. Then someone on this board post something that you deem offensive.

:jc: