Lisa Day appears to argue in favor of hastening the death of potential organ donors in order to optimize the viability of recovered organs.1 Specifically, she seems to support taking organs from donors in the same terms as withdrawing life support. Like treatment withdrawal, in her scenario “taking the organs hastens or causes the donor’s death,”1 but to do so would increase the supply of viable organs for donation. I have a strong commitment to transplantation, with statements in favor of ethical organ donation in my advance directive and with my driver’s license.
In light of my beliefs, the arguments presented in this column were of great concern. Start with a question: Assuming consent, should absolutely everything possible be done to save innocent life threatened by disease or trauma? One assumes the answer would be yes, and we could perhaps then say that certainly organs can be removed...