Changes in Organ Donor Status can Fall Through Cracks in the System
A little-known gap in the United States organ donation system is that once you've opted in, by checking a box on your drivers license for example, there is no clear, nationally binding way to opt out if you later change your mind–even if you've later unchecked that box in a different state.
"Respect for autonomy — our ability to make our own decisions (self-determination) - allows for both 'yes' and 'no' decisions and for changing one's mind," says Margaret McLean, a bioethicist at Santa Clara University, and Ethics Center senior fellow.
McLean also says if a donor does revoke their consent, "revocation by that person should carry the same ethical and procedural weight as the initial authorization, perhaps more."
Margaret McLean, Ethics Center senior fellow, quoted by CBS News.