Case 25: Anencephalic Newborns, Organ Donation, and Social Policy 1. Present the problem a. Identify the problem Every year 1000-2000 babies are born in the U.S. each year with anencephaly, a disease where all or almost all of the cerebral hemisphere is missing. Most infants with anencephaly are stillborn and the others are only expected to live for a few hours, days or weeks. These infants’ organs have the potential to be used in transplants but for the organs to be useful they must be taken from the infant before the child is (wholly) brain dead. This means that in removing the organs they are effectively killing the child. Options: a. How do different theories interpret and apply the relevant values? (e.g. care, consequentialist, duty, narrative, rights, virtue) b. Which options are favored by more than one theory? Questions: In the given state that the infant are under would it be ok to pursue taking away their organs? If so is this justifiable to take and harvest these organs? If stillborn, should the baby try to be resurrected in order to save the organs? Should there be policy on harvesting organs from these babies, with parental concent?
There should be a policy on harvesting organs from these babies. If the parents of the child believe there is no reason that they couldn't donate the organs if they are fully developed and healthy. It would be just the same as being an organ donor.
I do not believe it would be the same as an organ donor. This child hasn't even had a chance at life, and we are taking those hours, days, or weeks that they MIGHT have away from them. This isn't "letting die" like we talked about in class, this is effectively killing a patient. It's awful.
I don't think an infant's life should be cut short when they do have a chance to live for SOME length of time. I'm not saying other people don't deserve to be saved... but everyone deserves a chance to live their life, no matter how long or short of a time that may be.
I think every human has a right to life no matter how small of a chance it may be. I don't think it's right to take their organs, and it is not anything close to being an organ donor. Being an organ donor means you agree to donate your organs AFTER you have died, not while you are still alive. I also agree with Sarah..I believe everyone deserves to be saved, but that doesn't mean you should save someone by taking the organs from another living human.
I don't agree with this at all. I can see where they are trying to do good by saving others but to do this they are killing a human being. No matter how much of their brain is missing, they are still living. I'm not saying that organ donation is bad but this isn't organ donation. They deserve to live their life, how ever long that may be... hours, days, months, even years if they beat the odds.
I don't think that this is the same thing as organ donation unless the doctor is very certain that the child is going to become braindead within the next few minutes or hours. In that case, I think it should be one hundred percent up to the parent as to whether or not the organs are harvested. I am taking this situation out of context and thinking about it in the terms of an adult that were brain dead. If I were alive,but irreversably brain dead I would say, yes, take my organs while I'm living because I would rather die than live unconcious for many years. If it were my child, I would make the same decision. I would rather my brain dead baby die and give their organs to others that might live than force them to live unaware of their surroundings for however long that would last. I don't think it's good for the child, and I don't think it would be good for us as parents to cling to a child in this condition when it will almost certainly die within a few minutes or hours and never really know that it's alive in the first place.
I think that the parents of the brain dead babies should consider donating their organs to help other babies who are sufferning from something else that can be fixed with these organs. I think that it is selfish to keep a baby alive a few hours longer only to let another baby die that could live its full life if given the chance to.
In my opinion I do not believe this is the same thing as organ donation. In organ donation the donor chooses to give their organs after they have lived their lives. With this the newborns have not even had a chance to live their live no matter how short their lives may be because of the abnormality. I do agree with Katie in the fact that in these situations the parents of the newborn should be the ones to make the decision if they want the newborns organs donated or not
I also do not believe that this situation is the same as organ donation. Even if it is very probable the infant will not survive the infant still has the right to life. By taking their organs they are essentially killing them. Even though someone else could benefit from their organs the infant still deserves to live out its life no matter how short it may be.
I don't think it is right to take babies' lives whether they are sick or do not have a chance of living. I think that all infants have the right to at least try and survive outside the womb and do not think organs should be taken. If the baby is a stillborn I don't think they should be brought back to life to take their organs. If the baby is already dead I think it should stay that way and let the baby be at peace
I agree with everyone! These babies should be given a chance at life even if they're only meant to live for hours, that's just their time.. let them have it! I also think that resuscitating a stillborn only to "kill" them again by removing their organs is a form of torture.
I do not believe that this is the same as organ donation, but I am not against harvesting these children's organs. The vast majority of cases of anencephaly are diagnosed via ultrasound early enough that parents can choose to abort. If a mother knowingly chooses to carry her child to term, and knows that the baby cannot survive, she should be able to offer her child's organs to save other babies' lives.
I think it is important that the parents of this baby get a chance to spend as much time as God allows this child to be here on earth. Whether it be a day or a month, this baby deserves a chance at life and the parents have a better realization of the whole birthing/ death process if they are able to spend time with the child and when it is time, letting go won't seem so traumatic.
Case 25: Anencephalic Newborns, Organ Donation, and Social Policy
ReplyDelete1. Present the problem
a. Identify the problem
Every year 1000-2000 babies are born in the U.S. each year with anencephaly, a disease where all or almost all of the cerebral hemisphere is missing. Most infants with anencephaly are stillborn and the others are only expected to live for a few hours, days or weeks. These infants’ organs have the potential to be used in transplants but for the organs to be useful they must be taken from the infant before the child is (wholly) brain dead. This means that in removing the organs they are effectively killing the child.
Options:
a. How do different theories interpret and apply the relevant values? (e.g. care, consequentialist, duty, narrative, rights, virtue)
b. Which options are favored by more than one theory?
Questions:
In the given state that the infant are under would it be ok to pursue taking away their organs?
If so is this justifiable to take and harvest these organs?
If stillborn, should the baby try to be resurrected in order to save the organs?
Should there be policy on harvesting organs from these babies, with parental concent?
There should be a policy on harvesting organs from these babies. If the parents of the child believe there is no reason that they couldn't donate the organs if they are fully developed and healthy. It would be just the same as being an organ donor.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe it would be the same as an organ donor. This child hasn't even had a chance at life, and we are taking those hours, days, or weeks that they MIGHT have away from them.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't "letting die" like we talked about in class, this is effectively killing a patient. It's awful.
I don't think an infant's life should be cut short when they do have a chance to live for SOME length of time.
I'm not saying other people don't deserve to be saved... but everyone deserves a chance to live their life, no matter how long or short of a time that may be.
I think every human has a right to life no matter how small of a chance it may be. I don't think it's right to take their organs, and it is not anything close to being an organ donor. Being an organ donor means you agree to donate your organs AFTER you have died, not while you are still alive. I also agree with Sarah..I believe everyone deserves to be saved, but that doesn't mean you should save someone by taking the organs from another living human.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with this at all. I can see where they are trying to do good by saving others but to do this they are killing a human being. No matter how much of their brain is missing, they are still living. I'm not saying that organ donation is bad but this isn't organ donation. They deserve to live their life, how ever long that may be... hours, days, months, even years if they beat the odds.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that this is the same thing as organ donation unless the doctor is very certain that the child is going to become braindead within the next few minutes or hours. In that case, I think it should be one hundred percent up to the parent as to whether or not the organs are harvested. I am taking this situation out of context and thinking about it in the terms of an adult that were brain dead. If I were alive,but irreversably brain dead I would say, yes, take my organs while I'm living because I would rather die than live unconcious for many years. If it were my child, I would make the same decision. I would rather my brain dead baby die and give their organs to others that might live than force them to live unaware of their surroundings for however long that would last. I don't think it's good for the child, and I don't think it would be good for us as parents to cling to a child in this condition when it will almost certainly die within a few minutes or hours and never really know that it's alive in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI think that the parents of the brain dead babies should consider donating their organs to help other babies who are sufferning from something else that can be fixed with these organs. I think that it is selfish to keep a baby alive a few hours longer only to let another baby die that could live its full life if given the chance to.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I do not believe this is the same thing as organ donation. In organ donation the donor chooses to give their organs after they have lived their lives. With this the newborns have not even had a chance to live their live no matter how short their lives may be because of the abnormality. I do agree with Katie in the fact that in these situations the parents of the newborn should be the ones to make the decision if they want the newborns organs donated or not
ReplyDeleteI also do not believe that this situation is the same as organ donation. Even if it is very probable the infant will not survive the infant still has the right to life. By taking their organs they are essentially killing them. Even though someone else could benefit from their organs the infant still deserves to live out its life no matter how short it may be.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is right to take babies' lives whether they are sick or do not have a chance of living. I think that all infants have the right to at least try and survive outside the womb and do not think organs should be taken. If the baby is a stillborn I don't think they should be brought back to life to take their organs. If the baby is already dead I think it should stay that way and let the baby be at peace
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone! These babies should be given a chance at life even if they're only meant to live for hours, that's just their time.. let them have it! I also think that resuscitating a stillborn only to "kill" them again by removing their organs is a form of torture.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that this is the same as organ donation, but I am not against harvesting these children's organs. The vast majority of cases of anencephaly are diagnosed via ultrasound early enough that parents can choose to abort. If a mother knowingly chooses to carry her child to term, and knows that the baby cannot survive, she should be able to offer her child's organs to save other babies' lives.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important that the parents of this baby get a chance to spend as much time as God allows this child to be here on earth. Whether it be a day or a month, this baby deserves a chance at life and the parents have a better realization of the whole birthing/ death process if they are able to spend time with the child and when it is time, letting go won't seem so traumatic.
ReplyDelete