Teen who received the wrong transplant

[JOYfulbeliever]

What do you guys think of this? I'm a little appalled to think that this could actually happen, and to be honest, it scares me. For something as serious and life-threatening as an organ transplant, it amazes me that no one noticed such a careless error that could cost this girl her life. I am so happy to see that they were able to find another heart/lungs for her and also to hear that her heart is now beating on it's own, but I cringe to think of the permanent damage that could be done because of a careless error somewhere along the way. What are your thoughts on this issue? What , if any, kind of "punishment" do you think the medical staff involved should receive? I'm curious to hear other's views on this...

 

[Jodi Sue]

I am so glad they found a heart fo her, I had not heard that yet. I think the hospital staff involved should suspended(without PAY!) and a full investigation done. When they find the staff responsible, they should be fired and made to take their courses in college over, Obviously they fell asleep when the lesson on different blood types were taught! I pray this girl survies and holds accountable the actions of this hospital.

 

[Lynn]

The error which occurred is awful and it is very difficult to understand how it could have happened.

As far as punishment goes, I don't think punishment handed out to those involved will be half as bad as the punishment they are inflicting on themselves. Any time a doctor or nurse makes a mistake they put themselves thru sheer hell with regrets and what ifs. There will be sanctions, I'm sure. And deservedly so. But I know that the staff involved is in agony for the child.

I just pray that all involved will find healing and peace.

lynn

 

[nyj]

Another thing that no one seems to be picking up on is that two sets of lungs/heart had to be used for one girl. That means that another child out there didn't receive a transplant that they should have had if the staff had done things right. Given that fact that only 4 such operations happened all of last year, chances are likely that a child WILL die because of this error (and the little girl who underwent these two transplants isn't out of the woods either).

They may wind up killing two children because of this fiasco.

 

[JOYfulbeliever]

Today at 05:18 PM nyj said this in Post #4

Another thing that no one seems to be picking up on is that two sets of lungs/heart had to be used for one girl. That means that another child out there didn't receive a transplant that they should have had if the staff had done things right. Given that fact that only 4 such operations happened all of last year, chances are likely that a child WILL die because of this error (and the little girl who underwent these two transplants isn't out of the woods either).

They may wind up killing two children because of this fiasco.

You know, you are exactly right.  And what a senseless tragedy that is.  So many people die daily waiting for an organ transplant, and there certainly aren't enough people willing to donate their organs to meet the demand, yet, in a way, 2 organs were "wasted" in this tragedy.  Of course, I don't know about this, but I wonder if the organs of the wrong type were able to be re-transplanted into someone else?  Does anyone know anything on that? 

My sister had a heart transplant 7 1/2 years ago, so this is an issue that is just very close to my heart.  To think that such a senseless tragedy could occur is just beyond my thinking process. 

And I agree completely with you Lynn, those involved are punishing themselves probably far more than anyone else ever could.  But part of me still feels like that isn't enough.  I guess that's just my "emotional" take on it.  I know if that had happened to my sister 7 years ago, I don't think I would have been satisfied just knowing that they were punishing themselves, even though, often, that is the worse punishment. 

 

[nyj]

Today at 04:55 PM JOYfulbeliever said this in Post #5 (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?postid=665879#post665879)

Of course, I don't know about this, but I wonder if the organs of the wrong type were able to be re-transplanted into someone else?  Does anyone know anything on that? 

No, once the body starts rejecting an organ the organ begins to take damage, un-repairable damage due to inflammation (precipitated by an antibody attack). That is why they were saying if she didn't get a new transplant soon, she would have died within the week. Those organs were most likely thrown in the garbage as soon as they were removed from her. It's a pity.

 

[JOYfulbeliever]

Thanks for clarifying that for me, nyj. I understand all about organ rejection, and I guess I just wasn't thinking about that! But that makes sense! It is such a shame. I just hope she is able to pull through this second transplant.

 

[Evangelion]

Just curious - do you think the JWs will try and squeeze some mileage out of this one?

It seems like the sort of thing they love to publicise.

 

[JOYfulbeliever]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is "JWs"?

 

[waterwizard]

I just learned the girl's brain is now swelling.
Urgent prayers are needed.

 

[JOYfulbeliever]

I'm definitely sending prayers up for this young lady...

 

[Aviyah]

ok before i even make my statement here i want to let evreyone know I AM NOT A RACIST and i am only stating an opinion on this ,and futher more if you feel the need to call me a rasict or start throwing scriptures at me and start questioning my faith i suguset you all clean up your own back yards, first



ok i was wondering if any one caught the fact this girl was here illegally ?

so there fore instead of 2 AMERICAN CHILDREN getting a transplant the girl and her famliy who came to this country without any sort of visas, or papers, got it before a american child , that means she got i t over a white , or black or even american indian, child

and a dont get me wrong what the hospitail did was totlay wrong and they should be held responsible for thier actions and i hope they are and yes i know she is human and yes i have said some prayers for her, and i whouldnt wish that upon anyone one not even my worst enemys

but its the fact that she is illegelly here, this is a prime example of what i was trying to say in a earlier thread in which ppl

felt the need to start spouting the word rascit is the fact that ppl who come here illegally are afforded the same benefits as the the avarage american

IMHO

 

[Starscream]

Today at 03:57 PM Soldier_of _God said this in Post #12

ok before i even make my statement here i want to let evreyone know I AM NOT A RACIST and ...

Just a little friendly advice:  in general, feeling the need to start off a post like that is usually a bad sign.

ok i was wondering if any one caught the fact this girl was here illegally ?

*groan*

so there fore instead of 2 AMERICAN CHILDREN getting a transplant...

See, now that is something you need to prove.  Do you know there was other recipients in line for the exact (original) organs?  The matching process can be very complicated and there are times when organs are available but for whatever reason cannot be used.

Also, you can't hold this girl responsible for the second set or organs.

BTW, the girl now has severe (and possibly irreversible) brain damage.

Perhaps you want to give it some time before you express opinions like this?  You know, just use a little tact, okay?  This news is going to be upsetting to a lot of people.

 

[seebs]

I think that, in most cases, punishing hospital staff for errors is counterproductive. You don't get a lot of people who are working as nurses because they dream of some day screwing up a form and nearly killing someone. You get a lot of people who are doing their best, and sometimes their best isn't good enough.

Think of how much better health care would be if malpractice insurance weren't so expensive - because people stopped suing every time anything went wrong, intentional or accidental or whatever.

 

[Starscream]

Today at 04:22 PM seebs said this in Post #14

I think that, in most cases, punishing hospital staff for errors is counterproductive. You don't get a lot of people who are working as nurses because they dream of some day screwing up a form and nearly killing someone. You get a lot of people who are doing their best, and sometimes their best isn't good enough.

Think of how much better health care would be if malpractice insurance weren't so expensive - because people stopped suing every time anything went wrong, intentional or accidental or whatever.

Yeah, I agree.  I've had some days at work that were complete disasters but fortunately are not life-threatening because I'm a programmer (the worse that can happen is I destroy some Xbox hardware).

I can't imagine the stress that someone in the medical profession must feel and I also don't see how it helps to sue the pants off someone for making a human error.

 

[notto]

Soldier_of_God,

Just to clarify a few of the facts related to organ donations and non citizens:

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/living/health/5228884.htm

"Jesica Santillan's mother apparently smuggled her into the United States three years ago, hoping the sick teen would have a better chance of getting a new heart and lungs here than she would in Mexico."


....

"On one hand, Crippin said, doctors argue that 'transplantation is about saving lives, and a life's a life.'

But other doctors argue that with too few donated organs to go around -- an estimated 17 people on the waiting list die every day -- U.S. citizens shouldn't be the ones left waiting. The debate was highlighted in the 1980s when several wealthy foreign nationals came to the United States for expensive transplant operations, including the wife of a senior adviser to the king of Saudi Arabia.

In response, several major medical organizations, including the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, endorsed resolutions calling for U.S. citizens to be given the first chance at organs available for transplants.

The debate raged until the United Network for Organ Sharing adopted rules that limit each transplant center to performing no more than 5 percent of its procedures on noncitizens each year. For now, the medical community has accepted those limits."
....
"Mack Mahoney, a Louisburg home builder who has helped raise money for Jesica's medical care, said Thursday that he helped her and her mother start the process for becoming documented residents in 2000, and that former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., had helped."
....
"In the past, the INS has helped immigrants remain in the United States to secure medical treatment they couldn't get in their own countries, Gottlieb said."

 

[Aviyah]

Just a little friendly advice: in general, feeling the need to start off a post like that is usually a bad sign.

Starscream

well a little friendlly advice back to ya,if ppl whould take the word RASICT out of their vocabulary around here, i whouldnt have to start out whith that, because RACSIT seems like a very popular word around here, when your veiws do not agree with others so thank for your concern,

Also, you can't hold this girl responsible for the second set or organs.

hmm i guess you just looked over my last post, here let me refresh your memory abit i said and i quote [

dont get me wrong what the hospitail did was totlay wrong and they should be held responsible for thier actions and i hope they are and yes i know she is human and yes i have said some prayers for her, and i whouldnt wish that upon anyone one not even my worst enemys ]

Perhaps you want to give it some time before you express opinions like this? You know, just use a little tact, okay

wow! and like you all used a liitle tact when you all called me a rascit and and questioned my faith in a earllier thread, so how about you all using abit of tact before you respond



thats the problem around here , you cant even vocie an opinion
without what you said bieng twisted out of context, if ppl whould just stop a minute and hear a person out , instead of jumping all over them ,it whould be nice but i know that s impossible to do here, becasue everyone here is eager to trash on someone or try to make themselfs look noble just becasue someone voices an opinion that is diffrent from thiers

 

[Starscream]

Today at 05:47 PM Soldier_of _God said this in Post #17 Starscream

well a little friendlly advice back to ya,if ppl whould take the word RASICT out of their vocabulary around here, i whouldnt have to start out whith that, because RACSIT seems like a very popular word around here, when your veiws do not agree with others so thank for your concern,

I'd love nothing more to live in a world where the word 'racist' is of no use - but I think your record here stands to show that you clearly have some issues with immigrants.  Am I to apologize for pointing that out?

hmm i guess you just looked over my last post, here let me refresh your memory abit i said and i quote

No need to remind me, I read it, including this part:

so there fore instead of 2 AMERICAN CHILDREN getting a transplant the girl and her famliy who came to this country without any sort of visas, or papers, got it before a american child , that means she got i t over a white , or black or even american indian, child

The 2nd set of organs is completely moot considering that the mistaken first batch was not her fault.  You need to leave the number '2' out of this discussion completely.

wow! and like you all used a liitle tact when you all called me a rascit and and questioned my faith in a earllier thread, so how about you all using abit of tact before you respond

I question everything including the faith of people who say some of the cruelest, most juevenile words I've ever come accross on the net.  I don't force you to be fixated on immigration and race - that's your own doing.

 ...becasue everyone here is eager to trash on someone or try to make themselfs look noble just becasue someone voices an opinion that is diffrent from thiers

Are you not chomping at the bit to trash immigrants everytime the opportunity presents itself.  Your actions and words betray you, and no amount of "I'm not a racist" makes up for that.

 

[Starscream]

It seems the young lady has suffered severe brain damage 

 

When I was an R.A. at the University of Toronto, one of my students suffered a head injury that cased his brain to swell and hemorage - resulting in severe brain damage.  I visited him in the hospital a couple of times and it was the saddest sight - a once bright young man just sitting there with his eyes rolled back and his head bobbing back and forth and from side to side.

He passed after 6 weeks.  I feel so sorry for his family and for the family of this little girl right now.



 

 

 

[Blessed-one]

[noflame]Implied flaming (unintentionally or not) causes just as much trouble as outright flaming. Now please get back to the original topic, thanks.[/noflame]