09 April 2009

Sick.

Ok, this is sick. Here's a family that made the decision to take a baby off life support. Hey, sometimes you just know when you've been fighting too long and too hard. Sometimes it's ok to say goodbye. And the family wanting to help another little child in the hopes that something good would come of their child's death is truly a sweet gesture.

But is it a TRAGEDY that the baby continued to breathe?? Doggone it, and she isn't a "candidate" for heart transplant? "Candidate?" I'm sure if the baby knew what was going on, she'd be like, so totally bummed that she can no longer be a "candidate." Like, she's really sitting there going, "Pick me! Pick me! Ooo, ooo!"

Wow. And mom and dad are sad that their little issue isn't resolved. I have to think that they feel this way because the staff have behaved unethically somehow in steering them. I cannot for the life of me imagine that if they were thinking clearly and had unbiased, helpful counsel that this is what it would look like.

Stuff like this makes me wonder more and more if we crossed the line with organ donation. Let's just say that I have some concerns about the whole process, and I *used* to have that little organ donor sticker on my license and everything. No more. And I wouldn't want my children to, either, thanks.

*shudder*

PS. YES, I do know people who have benefitted from organ donation. I'd like to think that the "donors" were really donors though, if you know what I'm saying. Tell you what, we'll talk about organ donation AFTER death. You know, AFTER? No fair sending these vultures into the hospital room to "encourage" me to pull the plug on my loved one at a convenient time while the surgical team waits. Animals.

4 comments:

  1. That is disgusting! I can't believe that! Argh...

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  2. I am having a hard time processing this one . . . the baby is strong enough to fight for her life! How can the parents be sad? Is it because they are going to be facing lifelong medical problems now? I really do not understand . . .

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  3. Going to try to see the other side:

    The parents, after months of struggling with this, finally get to the point where they feel they can let their little girl go. It's super hard emotionally, but they see that there is hope that something good could come from this really hard decision.

    And then the whole mess starts over again. They had gotten themselves to a certain place only to find that the world had changed.

    It's a huge roller coaster of emotion, and it's not surprising that it's tearing their hearts in half.


    I am very happy that both children are doing well. And I'm sure they are as well, but the ups and downs can be killer.

    And my guess is that this is probably an instance of poor reporting that makes it sound like the parents really just want to be rid of their little girl. ...at least, I really hope that is the case.


    I am an organ donor, and I do hope they wait until I'm gone to take 'em... but if, after I'm gone, I can give someone else a longer life, please, take it! I don't need it anymore [smile].

    ~Luke

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  4. Luke, it's more than poor reporting... IMO it's poor taste to parade this as a news story. I can *certainly* see that sort of feeling in a parent, or in a child caregiver when Mom didn't die/go be at peace during a particularly painful hospital stay or operation. Mmm, I'm not sure I'd tell a reporter that, though.

    But. Yeah, I get the roller coaster thing though *of course* not entirely, not having been through it myself. Don't you think that the hospital staff, at least, should be helping the parents fight for their child's life, or the editor of this article should see how ghoulish it sounds? Those are people who should be a bit more objective. In theory. :]

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Non-troll comments always welcome! :)

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