Organ donation—such a personal issue involving so many ethical and moral considerations!

Every case is unique…indeed, no two are the same…and how often do we really know enough about a situation from the media to be making a judgment about a case? Sometimes facts become distorted and people are misrepresented. And aren’t such matters a private issue that have no place in the media to begin with?

The great debate—Is life at any cost a life? Should we be playing God? –If there is no chance at a viable and enjoyable life, should life be forced?

My heart goes out to precious two-month-old Kaylee and her family.

You may have heard about Kaylee, the Canadian girl whose parents, while thinking Kaylee has a terminal illness that will soon lead to her death, and using courage, grace and love for Kaylee, want to donate her heart for transplant (if she can’t live) to help another baby. They don’t want Kaylee to suffer, and they don’t want her death to be meaningless.

In this case it’s an issue about ‘cardiac death’ donation—removing organs from donors when there is no brain death. Kaylee’s heart would have to stop beating for 5min before she can be legally declared dead and her heart removed for transplant.

Kaylee has Joubert Syndrome (a malformation of the brain and brainstem)…so she can’t breathe on her own while she sleeps…so those around her are waiting for her to fall asleep and die (since she was taken off life support on Tuesday and survived)…and if she survives further, she could have mild to severe handicaps. The question is whether or not she has a condition that she will grow out of or that is treatable.  Is it too early, at age two-months, to be able to tell what her life will be like?

And because Kaylee has a “pre-existing condition” she is not eligible to receive the necessary home-monitoring equipment unless her parents have the insurance coverage (they would have to pay out-of-pocket). Perhaps this is where charities can step into the picture to help out those in need.

So should Kaylee be given a breathing device for sleeping to help her live?

This isn’t just a story about giving another child a chance to live through organ donation. We must remember to continue to see someone as a patient and not just as a potential donor.

And we must also remember, this family needs compassion, support and understanding.

Kaylee’s parents are meeting with doctors again today for a progress report on her condition. She remained stable yesterday but is still expected to die…but nobody knows when.

What are your thoughts?

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
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