Posted on 06/05/2013 2:34:10 PM PDT by blueyon
Edited on 06/05/2013 2:46:14 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary to suspend existing organ allocation rules to give a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl a better chance at a life-saving lung transplant.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Baylson told Kathleen Sebelius to direct the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, or OPTN, to make an exception to the so-called "Under-12" rule as it applies to Sarah Murnaghan, who has end-stage cystic fibrosis, for at least 10 days, until a hearing on June 14. That move means that the girl can be considered more quickly for organs as an adult, instead of being limited to the pediatric transplant list.
The ruling, which grants a temporary restraining order, applies only to Sarah, although Baylson indicated that he would consider a similar move for another child in Sarah's circumstances, if a family presented the case in court.
Yes, it is, and it was already going to happen anyway with Obamacare. We've known that all along. This case does not change that fact.
Nonetheless, this case is making all of us aware of exactly what one of the consequences of Obamacare is: healthcare by federal bureaucrat.
People are getting way too uptight about this. The judge ruled that the age limit was arbitrary and capricious. It was an age discrimination ruling.
You're joking, right?
I would trust the local bum on the street before I would trust a panel of government appointed political doctors and "experts"...doctors and "experts" that would fear losing their license and livelihood if they didn't follow the regimes "prescriptions"
Sounds like a regime I recall from the 30's.
I suppose you trust the IRS too?
Of course, and I said as much in my post. I am happy for the little girl. I am upset that we now have to look to government officials for our health care decisions.
It wasn't really a controversial point. At least, I didn't think so.
BTTT...amazing the density on this thread!
“Thank God.
Amen! With God in control, she will make it. :) “
Yes THANK GOD
Amen.
“Amen! With God in control, she will make it.”
She will make it, and sing for the Lord. Have you heard her beautiful voice?
THANK GOD..now this child will at least have a fighting chance, which is all anyone really wanted..God bless this little girl I hope her life can be saved
Supposedly, an adult-sized lung can be made to work in a child. Bad odds no matter what lung though.
<....”who is going to die instead of this girl, if she gets their lung?”....>
Good question....and of or not she is put at the bottom of the “adult” list.
I have mixed thoughts about this....not happy that the “squeaky wheel gets the oil” idea. There are many other children and adults equally ill.
So in the future the battle will be with the media making the decision to make a story of any particular situation or not? or yell loud enough and you’ll get your way?
There was lots of drama and emotion coming into this situation as well. Just not comfortable with how this is going down.
How about her parents? According to one article I read, lungs from a living donor can sometimes be used.
She should not get preferential treatment simply because of her age. OTOH, she should never have been arbitrarily excluded simply because she was not 12 years old.
ALL persons should be on the list regardless of their age - and then ranked on a fair and equitable basis under the same set of rules.
So, a child could get an adult's lungs and an adult could get a child's lungs [if that is even possible] - but ALL recipients would be judged on an equal basis.
That is, no "cuts" in line ...
O.K. So, I guess I'm dense.
Tell me, then, smart guy, exactly why a government bureaucrat or judge should have any say in this case?
Or, for that matter, any other healthcare decision.
My understanding is that an adult lung in a child has less chance of working than a child’s lung....and there are other complications that occur for that.
The child has cystic fibrosis....so do other children and adults who are dying and on the lists.
If there were no way to adapt an adult lung to physically fit a child, I would agree with the rule about not allowing her on the adult list. But the rule makes no sense by establishing an arbitrary age for transplants without allowing exceptions. Again this is zero tolerance run amok, trying to force us to obey any and all rules and laws regardless.
So let someone else die because of emotion of this girl? Lousy way to run the system.
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the private, non-profit organization that manages the nation’s organ transplant system under contract with the federal government.
The Board of Directors is a group of 41 elected members, consisting of:
11 UNOS regional councilors
transplant surgeons
transplant physicians
histocompatibility experts
transplant coordinators
independent organ procurement organizations (OPOs)
voluntary health organizations
medical/scientific membership organizations
members of the general public, including:
- transplant candidates and recipients
- living donors
- donor family members
- recipient & patient family members
They are elected and they are experts in the field. But you think an appointed federal judge should substitute his non expert opinion in place of their expert one.
You misread my post.
I bumped your post and was commenting on some of the other posters comments.
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