Comments on: Teen Organ Donor's Gift Turns Tragic

When A 15-Year-Old Boy Died Unexpectedly, Organ Recipients Picked Up Rare Form Of Cancer

[peacedreamer-2009]

How truly tragic to be giving the gift of life through organ donation, only to have it turn into a sentence of death. My heart goes out to everyone involved. ((hug))

[hungry1968]

This would be a very bad idea, from a slippery slope perspective. I don''''t want the government or all sorts of other organizations making decisions on my behalf without my permission under the assumption I''''d agree - and then requiring me to tell them I don''''t agree. So, even though I''''m completely in favour of organ donation I completely oppose any assumption of that position by some government agency.

Posted by rational_1 at 09:50 AM : Apr 02, 2008





Then you should register to have your organs NOT donated. It''s still strictly your choice - no one else''s.

And if you think about it, they''re making decisions on your behalf now without your permission. They''re assuming that you DON''T want to donate your organs, and they''re not going to allow you to donate them.

Basically, the knife cuts both ways (pardon the pun). Either way, they''re making a decision on your behalf WITHOUT your permission - but you would have a chance to opt out.

The only other option, is to leave the system as it currently is - broken, with massive shortages of needed organs. And as you can plainly see from the rest of the currently broken health care system, inaction isn''t solving anything.

[rational_1]

Now most of the countries in Europe operate like this - you have to register to NOT donate your organs.
Why don''''t we have something like that here?
Posted by hungry1968 at 09:04 AM : Apr 02, 2008

This would be a very bad idea, from a slippery slope perspective. I don''t want the government or all sorts of other organizations making decisions on my behalf without my permission under the assumption I''d agree - and then requiring me to tell them I don''t agree. So, even though I''m completely in favour of organ donation I completely oppose any assumption of that position by some government agency.

[twogunsono1g]

YOU CAN HAVE MY ORGANS WHEN YOU PULL THEM FROM MY COLD DEAD BODY!!

TWO GUNS SON OF ONE GUN

[hungry1968]

I can say from first-hand experience that 1) organ donation saves lives and 2) there are not enough people that are organ donors.

To anyone reading this post - PLEASE BE AN ORGAN DONOR!

Posted by bmlott27 at 08:58 AM : Apr 02, 2008





In America, we have to register to donate our organs. I saw a story a few years ago about Sweden (I think it was Sweden?), where the residents have to register to NOT donate their organs. They had such a surplus of organs that they started sending them to their neighboring countries. Now most of the countries in Europe operate like this - you have to register to NOT donate your organs.

Why don''t we have something like that here?

[bmlott27]

"This is a tragic story for all involved. But I don''''t see any reason why it would deter people from being organ donors. Am I missing something?"

GrammaWhamma, you are right that it shouldn''t deter people from being organ donors, but for some reason there is still a stigma about organ donation. My mother met a woman recently who was not an organ donor because she was afraid that someone would kill her for her organs! Rediculous!

I can say from first-hand experience that 1) organ donation saves lives and 2) there are not enough people that are organ donors.

To anyone reading this post - PLEASE BE AN ORGAN DONOR!

[rational_1]

I would not let this particular story and isolated, bizarre incident change anyone''''s mind about organ donations. Just a strange tragedy here.
Posted by NonayaBiness at 04:13 AM : Apr 02, 2008

I''m heartened to see that so many people have such a clear view of the big picture here. There are no guarantees in life and sometimes you-know-what just happens no matter how good the intentions of all involved.

[nonayabiness]

This article is really sad, however, a loving family donated their son''s organs to help others. Organ recipients are already very ill, and there never is a guarantee the donor organs will work. At least they all got a shot at a better life. Before organ donation became medically feasible, there would be no options, and donations have saved and/or improved thousands of lives. So, I would not let this particular story and isolated, bizarre incident change anyone''s mind about organ donations. Just a strange tragedy here.

[grammawhamma]

the donor network urged potential donors not to "allow the horrible circumstances surrounding this rare case to affect their decision to sign the donor registry," which every year gives 22,000 people a second chance at life.
--------

This is a tragic story for all involved. But I don''t see any reason why it would deter people from being organ donors. Am I missing something?

[dsr57]

WOW ! ! That really sucks

[ajmarine1]

However, this is my first time to register, so I am not a seasoned analyzer

Posted by hempstead7 at 11:01 PM : Apr 01, 2008


Welcome abroad.

[hempstead7]

Your comment was very much appreciated. I am impressed by your willingness to learn more. However, this is my first time to register, so I am not a seasoned analyzer. This subject just happens to affect me personnally and I have been searching for answers. So, no, I don''t know your website......but you must have insight in many different areas....and you are not afraid to express your feelings. I have thousands of pages of info.....have no clue how to contact you. Again, thank-you......your acknowledgment shows character.

[mythoughtsr]

Ignoring the other callous and uninformed comments before mine, I add the following. I am so very sorry for the Koehne family and the loss of their dear son. Sometimes we forget that at the heart of a story is a great and terrible loss. His parents gave with their hearts, the most precious gift of all; life, that which was taken away from them. How selfless of them in their time of horrible loss.

The recipients? No words can satisfy, could possibly bring comfort. To wait with such unwavering hope for an organ; to receive that organ and then to find out such horrible news. Well, I can''t imagine. I am sorry to hear of their deaths, their families'' and their hope shattered like this.

I do know that organ donation is a wonderful thing, a selfless and caring act that many more of us need to do. However, there must be a better system put in to place. Yes, I understand that time is extremely critical for placing the organs into the donor but there has to be a way. In the meantime, tell your loved ones that you wish to be a donor. Have it added to your license. Picture the face of the recipient crying with their parents, spouses, their children knowing that hope is not lost. Don''t let these extremely rare stories put you off. Like they said, It''s very rare.

[ajmarine1]

Posted by Humanavance at 10:00 PM : Apr 01, 2008

Sorry about your loss, but yes, I have been lucky.

I don''t know how modern medicine does all that it does, but we have to remember, doctors and nurses are human and sometimes their best efforts are not enough.

[hempstead7]

I get very tired of people who make comments about not caring who makes a profit.......you need to look at the big picture! You probably are not aware of the tainted tissue scandals because the ones profiting don''t want you to know the real facts.Many people have died or are suffering because they recieved infected tissue from corpses that had infectious diseases. There are good people who are out there trying to match organs to potential donors for nothing but the joy of giving life. I suggest you do your homework and I hope to see your more educated version after you figure out the facts. You can''t, obviously, see it now, but the more you try to hide the truth the more you make people unwilling to donate.

[ranger1948]

This is a tragic story. The family was really trying to help others. The hosp[itals should be required to check organs mor carefully before being allowed to be given as transplants.

[ajmarine1]

LOL there''''s a racket in everything and people fall for it over and over. DONATE the organs, the doctors and hospital gets thousands for them, you get zippo, the patient pays for what was given FREE.

Posted by newsterl at 09:29 PM : Apr 01, 2008


I am a kidney transplant recipient, you have no idea what the doctors and nurses do to help people in need.

[newsterl]

Sadly the parents of this young man probably have no idea that by giving the greatest gift of all ended up as a major profit to a very few
hempstead7

Well of course, its no different than recycling- the corporate mo fo''s have all you sheeple sorting out all your trash and stacking paper in one box, plastics sorted in more boxes, metals in another and so on- then they CHARGE you to haul it away as "trash" turn around and resell it at a nice profit all nice and sorted on YOUR nickel, then it''s made into new products which you pay for that came from used materials the manufacturer got cheaper than raw.

LOL there''s a racket in everything and people fall for it over and over. DONATE the organs, the doctors and hospital gets thousands for them, you get zippo, the patient pays for what was given FREE.

[newsterl]

Sadly the parents of this young man probably have no idea that by giving the greatest gift of all ended up as a major profit to a very few
hempstead7

Well of course, its no different than recycling- the corporate mo fo''s have all you sheeple sorting out all your trash and stacking paper in one box, plastics sorted in more boxes, metals in another and so on- then they CHARGE you to haul it away as "trash" turn around and resell it at a nice profit all nice and sorted on YOUR nickel, then it''s made into new products which you pay for that came from used materials the manufacturer got cheaper than raw.

LOL there''s a racket in everything and people fall for it over and over. DONATE the organs, the doctors and hospital gets thousands for them, you get zippo, the patient pays for what was given FREE.

[susanhelit]

I couldn''t care less if someone makes money on saving a bunch of lives with my donated organs - how shallow is that! I donate my organs, not to make money, not expecting the doctors and nurses and paperwork shufflers to do their jobs for free, but to save another person''s life. Sad that this one didn''t work out - but mistakes happen.