Sunday, November 20, 2005
What a waste of an organ!
What a waste of an organ!
Can't help thinking that the family whose loved one donated a liver to George Best in 2002 would be feeling that the former football star disrespected the greatest gift that one person can bestow on another. Not long after the transplant, George resumed his alcoholic binges and is now on life-support.
Donor families aren't told who receives the organs but this must be a step-back for the donor cause. Most likely, there was another person in need of a liver who would have treated the transplant with the care it deserved. The donation would have represented a second chance at life for those poor souls who missed out in favour of the celebrity.
So what happened instead? George trashed it.
I firmly believe that George has every right to do whatever damage he wants to his own body, but in this case, isn't there a moral responsibility to the donor?
I was under the impression that recipients are vetted for more than just organ compatiblity. Surely they should undertake to change their ways following a transplant, not just for themselves but as a gesture to other would-be donors who wonder if their gift could also be wasted.
Can't help thinking that the family whose loved one donated a liver to George Best in 2002 would be feeling that the former football star disrespected the greatest gift that one person can bestow on another. Not long after the transplant, George resumed his alcoholic binges and is now on life-support.
Donor families aren't told who receives the organs but this must be a step-back for the donor cause. Most likely, there was another person in need of a liver who would have treated the transplant with the care it deserved. The donation would have represented a second chance at life for those poor souls who missed out in favour of the celebrity.
So what happened instead? George trashed it.
I firmly believe that George has every right to do whatever damage he wants to his own body, but in this case, isn't there a moral responsibility to the donor?
I was under the impression that recipients are vetted for more than just organ compatiblity. Surely they should undertake to change their ways following a transplant, not just for themselves but as a gesture to other would-be donors who wonder if their gift could also be wasted.
# posted by Lili Gans @ 10:20 am 
Comments:
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The failure of the graft may have had nothing to do with drinking. According to a Wikipedia entry, Best's kidneys shut down due to the immunosuppressant medication. This is common with Cyclosporin. If they had to reduce the dosage to save the kidney, the liver may have undergone rejection.
# posted by 
: 2:54 pm
: 2:54 pm
To "not a dr" your explanation makes a lot of sense.However, Best did promise the doctors who performed the transplant that he would stop drinking. He admitted in an interview that he had broken this promise. This was not a respectful way to show appreciation for a donation. This is analogous to a recipient of new lungs carrying on smoking. It's just plain stupid.
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May I invite you to read my new web site at www.liligans.com. I would love to read your comments.
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