Posted on 05/24/2007 10:50:43 PM PDT by RedQuill
Court Ruling Could Have Chilling Effect On Organ Donations
SEATTLE -- If you marked "organ donation" on your driver's license, you may have given consent for something you can't imagine.
Over the past year, KIRO Team 7 Investigators have repeatedly exposed how the King County Medical Examiner’s Office traded hundreds of human brains to a research lab, collecting $1.5 million along the way. Dozens of families say King County failed to get proper consent. Four sued.
Now, Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne discovers a resulting court ruling might make everyone's donated body parts up for grabs.
I, along with 2.6 million other drivers in Washington, have a heart stamped in the corner of my license. it signifies organ donation.
A King County judge has just ruled that "heart-mark" allows your organs not just to be transplanted into a living person, but also your corpse donated to science. your family can't do anything to stop it. (see source for full story)
(Excerpt) Read more at kirotv.com ...
Parts ping...
Personally, I don’t mind my body being used for science. It was always my understanding that most of my organs would likely be unusable in an transplants upon death (One would literally have to be on the surgery table on the time of death to properly preserve the organs due to toxins overloading th system).
If, however, my brain or kidneys can give a med student a better understanding of the human body for better practice in the future, that is a net gain.
It sounds like the hospital in question is a pretty scummy place, and I am yet to read the entire article, but if simply in the name of science (not to make a few bucks, but for knowledge) I say “cut me up!”
Hell, I plan on being cremated anyway.
All your parts are belong to us.
OK, that was just lame...
There’s (obviously) a load of money in “organs”. I have always wondered if some people might profit from you “didn’t make it” in the emergency room. I never mark ‘yes’ for organ donation on my drivers license renewal.
The old joke about nothing being certain but taxes and death—well your death doesn’t stop this county! They keepa comin’ back for more!
my father’s parts were “stolen”
nothing done, but i did get a bill passed and signed by our gov to stop them from doing it the same way
if you mark yes, here in az, yes for “organs”, means more than just organs: tissue, muscle, bones, valves, etc.
they switch tissue and organs, so you think that you are just checking organs for transplant
if your family then objects, the company here has decided that unlike in the past where a family could object to other than “organs”, now they will fight the family and take whatever
Excellent!
On the other hand, there are plenty of people hanging around FR who think it’s just dandy if the government controls what you do with your own body. Want to make your own decision when it’s time to die? Nope, many FReepers want the government to step in and make it illegal for anyone to help you, even at your explicit request. Want to “donate” eggs for a nice wad of cash? Nope, many FReepers say the government should stop you because it’s “exploiting women” — you’re just a flighty little woman, you know, and can’t possibly understand how you’re being “exploited”, so big Daddy government needs to take charge of your decisions.
My body parts are mine, and not just after I’m dead. They’re mine to donate, sell, destroy, protect, or whatever I want.
As a physician, I’d strongly advise people *not* to sign their organ donor cards.
Something that sounds noble and selfless may in fact may compromise the care you receive.
I’ve seen too many transplant-related types in healthcare behave in ways that were unprofessional at best.
But why should somebody else make money. That money should go to the family if there going to sell you off.
I have been asked several times to make such a commitment, and I always turn them down.
Like you, I’ve seen and know too much.
My kids understand my wishes, if I can really help someone with something they will do it. But not until they grant permission, and not out of my breathing body. After seeing what they did to Terri Schiavo I don’t trust the state to make decisions for me.
Simple enough to fix.
Go to DMV and tell them you want a new license without the heart stamp.They can’t say no and force you to be an organ donor.Can they?
I wouldn’t mind giving up my organs for either transplants or research, but if someone’s going to profit from their sale I want it to be my family and not the government.
Which explains why I made this comment.
————————————————————It sounds like the hospital in question is a pretty scummy place, and I am yet to read the entire article, but if simply in the name of science (not to make a few bucks, but for knowledge) I say “cut me up!”
I would never, even sign that organ donation blank, and I have strongly advised my family members to not do it either. The reason: Several years ago in my home area, there were strong rumors from several local and regional hospitals that critically injured accident victims were NOT receiving the immediate intensive care that one would expect, with allegations made by hospital staff that victims were being allowed to die so that their organs could be harvested (if they had signed the card). This came from my aunt, who’s an RN (now retired) and gave us the initial heads up.
The nasty part of this whole thing is that the surviving family gets ZERO dollars, while the doctors make loads of cash off this scam.
It’s the one reason I’m not an organ donor. I’ll be happy to donate parts if I don’t need them any more, but compensate my family for it, and not just the medical system. After all, who’s making the real sacrifice here?
That's right- people are people, even doctors. Human nature being what it is, I don't even want to put the thought of potential profit in a doctor's head- or even the thought of 'well, he's an organ donor, his death won't be so bad, we can redeem it a little bit...'
Thoughts like that could make or break the difference in a touchy situation.
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