The Card to Protect You from “Presumed Consent” Organ Harvesting

LifeSiteNews ^ | 10/22/10 | Patrick B. Craine

[wagglebee]

October 19, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – As the push for organ harvesting gets increasingly aggressive, and more and more cases of abuse by transplant teams surface, one pro-life leader has developed a card to ensure doctors respect one’s wish to live a natural lifespan.

“The card documents that they want to live as long as God gives them,” said Dr. Paul Byrne of the Life Guardian Foundation, who is a pioneer in the field of neonatology and a leading opponent of the notion of “brain death,” which is often used as the point where doctors can begin harvesting organs from dying patients.

Dr. Byrne argues that brain death is not in fact real death, but rather a set of criteria that were developed in order to be able to harvest healthy organs, including vital organs, thereby causing the patient’s true death.
 
“The fact of the matter is all organs that are transplanted are healthy organs and they always come from a living person,” he explained.  “After they take the organ, the living person is either dead, when it’s a beating heart, or weaker if it’s one of two kidneys.”

Dr. Byrne told LifeSiteNews that it is essential to protect oneself from the presumed consent laws that have already been passed in 40 states, and are being promoted in the other states as well as Canada.  Under these laws, a patient is presumed to have consented to organ donation unless he specifically opts out.

“The only way to stop what they do is to have some documentation of refusal,” he said.  “This medical card gives the way to document refusal so far as being an organ donor is concerned.”

But even more importantly, he explained that the card gives life support directions.  “It documents that they don’t want anybody to shorten their life or hasten their death,” he said.

The card also says that the patient does not consent to an apnea test, which doctors use to declare “brain death.”  Dr. Byrne explained that because this test involves removing a person’s ventilator for up to ten minutes - increasing carbon dioxide, and thus causing brain swelling – it actually causes the patient’s condition to worsen.

Further, the card allows the patient to designate someone else to speak for him, who can ensure the person is properly treated.  That person can only do what the card says and cannot take away treatment.  It also allows the patient to indicate that they want a priest, minister, or rabbi to be contacted in the event of an emergency.

“Carry it with you.  Have more than one.  Give it to your relatives,” said Dr. Byrne.

Cards can be obtained from the Life Guardian Foundation.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Organ donation: The inconvenient truth
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007_docs/Organdonationinconvenienttruth.pdf

The Demise of "Brain Death"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08091803.html

[wagglebee]

Dr. Byrne argues that brain death is not in fact real death, but rather a set of criteria that were developed in order to be able to harvest healthy organs, including vital organs, thereby causing the patient’s true death.

And, unfortunately, the public has been duped into believing it.

[wagglebee]

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[the invisib1e hand]

one of the strangest guys I knew was some sort of para-medical tech who's beeper went off when there was a fatality, usually a traffic accident. He was being summoned to the medical facility to carve up the corpse for organs. He bragged about how much money they paid him.

So, wherever the money is, politicians will make a way.

[FromLori]

You know there have been a few cases just recently where people were pronounced dead and then...

She was dead, and then she wasn’t

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Brain-dead-but-not-anymore-105492403.html

French cancer patient wakes up 14 hours after being pronounced dead

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8076243/French-cancer-patient-wakes-up-14-hours-after-being-pronounced-dead.html

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Put me on a gurney in the nearest corridor and start ignoring me. That’s how they’ll read it.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Some 30 years ago I lived in Maine, and they had a place that you could write in an organ donation and the party you would grant it to. My license said “large intestine”, and it was to be sent to “my congressman.” Fortunately, it was never put to the test.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

If brain death were real death, half the seats in Congress could be declared vacant.

[Haiku Guy]

When I got my new license in New Jersey, it was presumed that you gave permission for Organ Donation unless you specifically opted out of the program. And “Organ Donation” meant the State of New Jersey could use your body for any purpose it saw fit, including transplant, scientific research or medical training.

[FelixFelicis]

Are you sure? I renewed my NJ license about three months ago, and I’m pretty sure you had to specifically check “yes” or “no.” In fact I remember the DMV staffers telling one customer he needed to check one or the other before they could process his paperwork.

Incidentally, I checked yes. But that’s just me.

[NoExpectations]

We had a young son die in an accident. About 11:00 p.m. the night of his death I received a really creepy call from someone wanting to take my son’s organs. I cannot explain the feeling of horror this man provoked in me while I was just beginning to deal with the tragedy. I beg anyone to think carefully when they are planning on donating their organs. This is a world you have no idea exists.

[the invisib1e hand]

Godspeed.

I have a feeling it's a very dark business indeed.

[edwinland]

How about linking to the card? I hunted for a while on the linked website and gave up

[The Antiyuppie]

1. “Whoops! we didn’t see the card.”

2. I was in favor of organ donation and planned to do it until my cousins (two nurses and the daughter of one) told me that hostpitals/doctors plan ahead and don’t use certain medicines (notably chemo) if someone is a potential organ donor.

Think about this.

[wagglebee]

Here you go:

http://lifeguardianfoundation.org/pdfs/newcard_web.pdf

[rimtop56]

I just clicked on the image and was given the option to copy or save a copy. I saved it to my computer.

[Vermont Lt]

I doubt very much is there are many oncologists that would NOT use chemo if someone was an organ donor.

The fact that someone is dying of cancer pretty much takes them out of the donation pool because their bodies are usually put through so much stress that their non-cancer ridden organs are almost useless.

I will not argue with anyone about the choice to be an organ donor nor not. That is about as personal a decision as one can make.

But please, keep the bullshit to a minimum.

[ViLaLuz]

A card or “no” checked on your drivers license isn’t going to stop organ harvesters. If they want your organs they’re going to take them.

[the invisib1e hand]

I don’t think your skepticism is misplaced. Esp. now that Big Mama has ownership of every scalpel.

[metmom]

It should NOT have to come to this.

“Presumed consent” my foot.

It’s just an excuse to pull the plug.