The main point about it was that the family said right from the beginning that one of the family members would donate for the child so that it would not be put on the transplant list. And this is what makes the difference in my opinion.
i didn't feel that the main issue was the transplant from a family memeber. it felt like the blogs/news coverage were broadcasting about denial based solely on mental ability. and that simply was not the case. i don't think any of the articles detailed the actual genetic condition, which has a very short life expectancy. but, a story about a child with a genetic defect wouldn't have made front page news.
as a mom, it would be very difficult to know that you could prolong your child's life by donating your kidney only to find out that the hospital won't allow it. but, medicine must set limits to what they are willing to do because people living in the situtation are unable to be objective. i would not be able to be objective in the same situation.
if the transplant takes place, the mother will have had major surgery and the outcome may still be very grimm for her daughter. i think i read that the rejection drugs commonly given to transplant patients do not react well to the other medicines this little girl needs. i think i read that it was a seizure medicine they were concerned about. if they have to take her off of the seizure med, i would have to argue that they are not increasing her quality of life with this surgery. and what will become of the mother if someday her remaining kidney fails?
i just can not agree enough that the hospital failed to handle this situation with the compassion it deserved. but, i think the entire team of medical doctors failed the family, too. and media coverage fails on a regular basis!
The main point about it was that the family said right from the beginning that one of the family members would donate for the child so that it would not be put on the transplant list. And this is what makes the difference in my opinion.
ReplyDeletethanks for your comment!
ReplyDeletei didn't feel that the main issue was the transplant from a family memeber. it felt like the blogs/news coverage were broadcasting about denial based solely on mental ability. and that simply was not the case. i don't think any of the articles detailed the actual genetic condition, which has a very short life expectancy. but, a story about a child with a genetic defect wouldn't have made front page news.
as a mom, it would be very difficult to know that you could prolong your child's life by donating your kidney only to find out that the hospital won't allow it. but, medicine must set limits to what they are willing to do because people living in the situtation are unable to be objective. i would not be able to be objective in the same situation.
if the transplant takes place, the mother will have had major surgery and the outcome may still be very grimm for her daughter. i think i read that the rejection drugs commonly given to transplant patients do not react well to the other medicines this little girl needs. i think i read that it was a seizure medicine they were concerned about. if they have to take her off of the seizure med, i would have to argue that they are not increasing her quality of life with this surgery. and what will become of the mother if someday her remaining kidney fails?
i just can not agree enough that the hospital failed to handle this situation with the compassion it deserved. but, i think the entire team of medical doctors failed the family, too. and media coverage fails on a regular basis!