Agreeing with Grisamore on Organ Donation
Readers with a good memory may recall a high-tension series of exchanges involving Jeff Grisamore, a state representative from the Lee's Summit and Greenwood area. Through the various comments and emails exchanged with Representative Grisamore, I grew to respect him, though we are close to political polar opposites.
In today's KC Star, Representative Grisamore writes of the loss of his not-quite-one-year-old daughter five years ago, and the comfort his family gains from the knowledge that her organs and tissue are being used to research Prader-Willi Syndrome, the disease which took her life.
I admire the Grisamore family for thinking of hope for other families at the time of their daughter's death, and I agree with Representative Grisamore in his request that you consider filling out the the advance directive on the back of your driver’s license and let your family know what you want.
I'll even go a little further and strongly recommend that you download the Missouri Bar's FREE Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Health Care Directive, and its accompanying HIPAA form here. Don't let the lengthy name of those documents intimidate you - they are tremendously easy to fill out, and come with step-by-step instructions.
Labels: health care, Jeff Grisamore
posted by Dan at 11/29/2007 06:13:00 AM
14 Comments:
Don't be so quick to sign that donor card!
Most organs cannot be harvested from someone that is dead.
After major trauma, you may be defined as "brain dead", but not actually dead. After the "good doctors" convince your relatives that your prognosis is not good, and get them to call it quits, they inject you with vascular dilators. This makes it appear as if you have a weakened or nonexistent pulse, but your heart continues to pump. Your lungs continue to oxygenate your blood. Your liver continues to filter your blood. Your blood pressure drops as a result of the vascular dilator, presenting your loved ones with the appearance that you are going... It is now time for the harvesters to get the organs they want.
Organ donation is a very noble gesture. Organ transplantation is a very profitable business. When the two collide, the money wins.
Read this article before you decide to be a donor.
http://www.chninternational.com/op__vital_distinctions_in_transp.htm
Good God - not even I'm crazy enough to believe that line of bullshit. So, all the doctors are in on a plot to kill people so they can save people? Sure, why not? Just like you think the Missouri Bar is out to take over the state government, too, right???
SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!!!!
to whistleblower:
Uh-huh.
In your case, they'll have to remove the tinfoil hat carefully stapled to your skull.
This is a no-brainer, folks. You're not using your organs anymore; pass 'em on.
Did any of you take the time to read the linked article?
Is a doctor’s respect for life above yours or mine?
Doctors don't set policy for the hospitals; administrators do. Who has the most influence over administrators? - Money
If you won't take the time to read the article, just sign your donor card.
If you are too stupid to realize that you're not really dead when they harvest your organs. Oh well!
Too funny. Yes, indeed, if it's on the internet it must be true!!
Whistleblower - do you have any secret information on Area 51? How many assassins got Kennedy?
If you are too stupid to realize that you're not really dead when they harvest your organs.
The cool thing about being brain dead is that you really are too stupid to know that your organs are being harvested. Wtf are you worried about? That you'll "wake up" from brain death in the middle of the procedure and want your heart back?
I read the article and it was silly. Would this guy seriously have brain dead people hooked up to ventilators until they died of old age? Talk about a money making proposition.
That you'll "wake up" from brain death in the middle of the procedure and want your heart back?
......there IS hope for Dick Cheney!?!?
Do you really think I give a crap whether or not you decide to donate your organs?
That's your decision!
If providing you with relevant information before you make that decision causes you to attack me, then you probably are already "brain bead".
As I stated, organ donation is a very noble act. Saving lives by donating your organs is a good thing.
Not everyone that has been declared “brain dead”, is dead. Some that have been declared brain dead are currently leading healthy productive lives. Either they were inaccurately declared brain dead, or the criteria for determining death is flawed, or it was a “miracle”. Take your choice!
The article that I linked to was written by a neonatologist, a pediatrician that specializes in the care of newborns. He doesn't make money from organ donations. He does however, have his own bedroom at the hospital (the only doctor that does so). At 74 years old, he pulls all nighters to take care of sick infants. He is a physician acting as an impartial observer of the organ donation process.
To “anonymous” - If you want to discredit the article because it exists on the internet, I would suggest that you do so by pointing out what he has to gain by writing the article.
Sophia...
The article is not addressing those in a persistent vegetative state.
There are two methods currently being used to determine what "dead" is.
One, "brain dead" is subjective, relies on scientific instrumentation, and is only as good as the technology available. Scientists discover new things about the human body, and our brain every day. The brain dead criterion has been inaccurate on numerous occasions.
The second is total cessation of all bodily functions. As far as I know, no one has come back from the second. Unfortunately, most organs cannot be transplanted if the second criterion is used for determining death.
We have a happy young 22 woman on our street this week. Last Thursday, on Thanksgiving Day, she received a call for a liver transplant and is doing well.
She was born with Maple Syrup Urine Disease. The disease, which gets its name from the smell of the urine of babies with the condition, is a rare genetic condition in which the body is unable to break down certain amino acids. Without strict dietary control, toxins build in the blood stream, affecting brain functions and -- if unchecked -- lead to coma or death.
Much of her life has been spent battling the sickness that comes with this disease, even with dietary control, but now she has a chance at a normal, healthy life.
Isn't it neat that she received her transplant on Thanksgiving Day!
As an aside, and not to take Whistleblower's conspiracy theory more seriously than it deserves, I should point out that you could draft a health care directive any way you want, and allow for organ donation in cases of sudden or accidental death, but not in cases of vegetative states or brain death. Such a restriction would diminish the likelihood of transplantation, but still retain a possibility of doing some good.
Dan...
I appreciate your input, but I think you may be confused when it comes to what organs can be donated, and when.
There are two types of donors. Beating heart donors, and nonbeating heart donors.
If you eliminate the "brain dead", known as beating heart donors, you limit the donated organs to bone, skin, heart valves and corneas – which can be donated within the first 24 hours of death. (I think kidneys may also be included, but I'm not sure of the time period)
Currently, the heart, lungs, and liver (kidneys?) can only be taken from someone whose heart is still beating when their organs are removed.
Some of your readers think that I am anti-organ donor. That is not the case. I am all for saving and improving the quality of lives. I just think it should be an informed decision. They should know that the reason their loved ones pulse is weakening is a result of the vascular dilator, and not their body shutting down.
If I am somehow a bad guy for telling your readers what they are obviously unaware of, so be it.
Why do you think Dan is confused? He gave straight and accurate advice for those who share your paranoia. If you're afraid of evil doctors, restrict your health care directive. Simple.
Anonymous...
"If you're afraid of evil doctors"
While I don't know any "evil doctors", I'm sure they must exist.
However, I'm not talking about "evil doctors". I'm talking about doctors that have to choose between saving one life or another. They can't save both.
Doctors, like most of us, want to be able to fix what they can. If given the choice between implanting an organ in a viable recipient, and trying to keep someone alive that may likely not make it, the best choice for the hospital is the transplant. Nothing is wrong with that until its someone you love that may lose out.
I'm sorry if I made you look at something from another point of view.
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