Organ donation .... Cheating death with generosity

Brain stem or brain death is a state following severe brain injury due to injury or stroke where critical functions of the brain mainly the ability to initiate spontaneous respiration, maintain consciousness and coordinate body functions are irreparably damaged. In this state circulation to organs is maintained, the heart is beating but meaningful life has already ceased . Eventually due to loss of coordination all systems including the heart will shut down in a matter of days. Brain death can be reliably diagnosed based on simple bedside tests once the cause of brain injury is known. Inability to elicit spontaneous respiration after withdrawal of ventilator indicates a positive apnoea test. Other tests include the caloric test and doll's eye that indicate loss of brain stem reflexes. These tests performed by a panel of clinicians or brain specialists are sufficient to declare brain death. However to remove any doubt the tests are repeated on two occasions separated by at least 6 hours before declaration. Additional tests like EEG or cranial Doppler are merely supportive and not necessary to diagnose brain death from a medical or legal standpoint. Once brain death is declared all systems can be supported using artificial devices to keep blood supply into organs intact for some time.During this period, these organs can be extracted and transplanted into patients whose organs have failed.the liver, kidneys, intestines, pancreas, heart, lungs and other tissues can all be used to save several lives when they are no longer of use to the brain dead individual. These organs will live in the recipients long after the donor has passed. Can there be a better way to cheat death?