Did anyone else see this story? Wow, it really floored me. I’m not a big fan of organ donation because I think it has the potential to cause doctors to hasten deaths in the name of helping others. That’s just my opinion. I understand the dilemma of needing a vital organ or having a loved one who is waiting for a transplant. For me, personally, unless it were something like a kidney where the donor could remain alive, I’d probably pass on being a recipient, and head on into eternity.
Anyway, back to the news story. The family of the teenager whose organs were donated are devastated because they had no idea the young man had this rare form of cancer.
But the kicker:
Alex Koehne of Sag Harbor, Long Island, died a year ago of lymphoma, but his parents were told he died from bacterial meningitis. Since then, two of the organ recipients have died and two others are battling the same disease, according to the report.
I realize I’m no doctor … but why would it be considered safe in the world of medicine to harvest and donate organs from someone who died from bacterial meningitis in the first place? One would think common sense would dictate in a situation like this. The entire sad incident seems preventable. What do you think?
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aw sad one Tammi!…but youre right ..no doubt it was preventable!:)
Angel’s last blog post..Angel’s got da Flu
I’m no doctor either, but a sick lack of common sense makes sense in the medical field since it pervades every other facet of our society.
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I agree, for most things.
I see nothing wrong with donating blood, bone marrow, eggs, sperm - anything regenerative. The liver regenerates, too. One kidney - person stays alive.
I dislike the idea that we ought to “save lives” at all cost. To me, saving a life is about not allowing others to be killed, first and foremost. Then, it’s about medical treatment and good care. I do not think that “saving a life” is done by leeching off of another person’s body. Sorry.
I’ve pointed out before, and will continue to do so, that the “greater good” would theoretically demand that I allow myself to be killed so that my (very healthy, very strong) organs could be harvested. How many lives could be saved if my lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, bone marrow, and other organs were used to help those who are desperately ill? Why is my life more important than the lives of several people?
We know that type thinking is just stupid. For some reason, though, transplant physicians think that way, and many other doctors do, too. I can’t help but think that the “get the organs” (”the organs,” not, say, “Tammi’s organs,” which emphasises their rightful, unalienable owner) mentality contributed to this.
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Hi Angel — yes very sad - for all involved.
Sam - That’s what I was thinking.
Bridget,
Once again, you are able to put into words how I feel about organ donation. I personally know people who were so harassed by the organ donation people when their son was in a critical car accident that it was disgusting. They lectured my friends and tried to make them feel like crap when their son was on a respirator fighting for his life. As if that wouldn’t be bad enough in itself?! Well, because my friend’s son was declared brain dead by two doctors, and the accident was in TX, they were forced to take him off the respirator before they were ready to. We’re not talking weeks, but a couple of days. Their son, and our friend, went home to be with the Lord and the organ donation people were livid when our friends didn’t change their minds and donate his organs.
I read somewhere that emergency room personal take their sweet time to care for incoming patients if they are designated organ donors. Not sure of the validity of that but it made me wonder.
Does that make any sense? Letting one human being die to save another? How warped is that?
If either of the two evil dem candidates become president (God forbid) and National (socialist) health care comes into effect it will be frightening indeed. If the state literally owns your body then they will have the first say???
Kidney donation is a life saver in my family. I have a little niece that had to undergo several transplant operations. God Bless her little heart. She was born with a kidney defect the name of which escapes me at the moment. But she is a tiny sweet true miracle, to have made it through all of those transplants beginning at a very young age, she was itty bitty. It still makes me tear up.
Velvet Hammer’s last blog post..Michael Pfleger & Jeremiah Wright - Men of the Cloth? No. Cut From the Same Cloth? Yes!
Hi Velvet,
I think you might have mentioned your little niece before. Bless her little heart indeed.
I think life saving procedures such as kidney transplants, bone marrow donating, etc … are wonderful too.
Have a great day V!
Tammi’s last blog post..Donated Organs Spread Cancer
Hi Tammi,
Well, being about as paranoid as a functioning adult can be, I totally agree with you on the dangers of organ donation! Beyond that, I might check the box on my drivers license if I could know who my internal bits were going to help prior to my demise. Really, if there is an after life, surely having one’s heart save the life of a liberal, or other type of criminal, would insure eternal damnation.
the Grit
the Grit’s last blog post..Where’s Osama 04/09/08