General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: About that 10 year old who recieved a second pair of lungs... [View all]Hell Hath No Fury
(16,327 posts)about the press to change the law about younger children and adult organs -- organ transplant is already tricky enough without have to go the extra step of downsizing an organ. I was also uneasy about the change allowing her to jump in front of adults who were equally sick and had been waiting.
I have a neighbor who had a liver transplant that went bad after only a few years. Could have been because he's a raging booze hound and a smoker. He got a SECOND transplant and is now back to his old ways, and starting to look like shit again after just a year and a half. I honestly do not think he deserved that second transplant.
My Mom, on the other hand, had corneal transplants 25 years ago -- an extraordinary length of time for them to remain functioning. She recently under went a new transplant and will have the other eye done in around 6 months. Did she deserve that second transplant?
The ethics of transplants can be murky sometimes, IMO. We try to level the playing field as much as possible with the transplant list but, at the end of the day, we play "god" every day in deciding who has the best shot of success with the available organs.
I wish you all the best with your transplant -- the day you get the call will be amazing.