A German diplomat, Christopher Fuchs, has become the first foreigner to officially provide consent for posthumous organ donation in Ukraine, as reported by the Ukrainian Transplant Coordination Center.
Christopher Fuchs serves as the Head of the Economic Department at the German Embassy. Before his appointment, he had also submitted a statement of consent for posthumous organ donation in Germany and the United States.
"For me, it is important to feel part of this country. I am not planning to die yet, but if it happens, I would like the situation to have a positive aspect. I see the positive in sharing my body with people who will need such help," says Christopher Fuchs.
Ukrainian legislation does not impose restrictions on posthumous organ donation for citizens of other countries. In the overall Ukrainian transplantation information system (EDIST), 814 living decisions regarding the possibility of posthumous organ donation by Ukrainians have been recorded: 801 of them decided to become donors after death, and 13 disagreed, according to the center's General Director, Dmytro Koval.
Any person who has reached adulthood can provide consent for posthumous organ donation. To do this, one needs to submit a written statement at any transplantation center. No medical professional will be able to learn about a person's decision regarding posthumous organ donation until the individual's death is confirmed, as stated by Dmytro Koval.
