Health Around the World
All major religions accept organ donation in at least some form on either utilitarian grounds or deontological grounds. Most religions, among them the Roman Catholic Church, support organ donation on the grounds that it constitutes an act of charity and provides a means of saving a life, although certain bodies, such as the pope's, are not to be used. One religious group, The Jesus Christians, became known as "The Kidney Cult" because more than half its members had donated their kidneys altruistically. Jesus Christians claim altruistic kidney donation is a great way to "Do unto others what they would want you to do unto them." Some religions impose certain restrictions on the types of organs that may be donated and/or on the means by which organs may be harvested and/or transplanted. Orthodox Judaism considers organ donation obligatory if it will save a life, as long as the donor is considered dead as defined by Jewish law. Debate surrounding brain death Christianity 1981 report The 1981 federal report, Defining Death, found that Catholic and Protestant theologies did not object to brain death criteria. Indeed, Dennis Horan, president of the pro-life group Americans United for Life, stated: Legislation limiting the concept of brain death to the irreversible cessation of total function of the brain, including the brain stem, is beneficial and does not undermine any of the values we seek to support. In recent times, the findings of the 1981 President's Commission Report have been questioned.] The new attack on brain death criteria has been multi-pronged. First, the view that brain death marks the end of the integrated unity of the human organism has been questioned. Alan Shewmon has argued that the body as a whole is the central integrator of the organism rather than the brain. Roman Catholic medical ethics In Catholic medical ethics, Pope Pius XII stated that death is determined by medical experts and it "does not fall within the competence of the Church." Advocates of brain death criteria have claimed that this implies that the church is bound to support the view of the medical community on this issue.
Organ Donation in Religion
What is it?
Organ donation is the process of surgically removing an organ or tissue from one person (the organ donor) and placing it into another person (the recipient). Transplantation is necessary because the recipient’s organ has failed or has been damaged by disease or injury. Organ transplantation is one of the greatest advances in modern medicine. Unfortunately, the need for organ donors is much greater than the number of people who actually donate. Every day in the United States 18 people die waiting for an organ and more than 117,000 men, women, and children await life-saving organ transplants .In order for a person to become an organ donor, blood and oxygen must flow through the organs until the time of recovery to ensure viability.
People of all ages should consider themselves potential donors. When an individual dies, they are evaluated for donor suitability given their current and past medical history as well as their age. The Organ Procurement Agency determines medical suitability for donation.
When Stephanie Zimmerman was 8-years-old, she battled Ewings Sarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. Being so impacted by her experience, she became a pediatric oncology nurse practitioner with a special interest in the late effects of therapy. While doctors told her she may have some heart damage from the radiation and chemotherapy, Stephanie, now 38, continued to live a normal and productive life.
Organs that can be donated:
* Liver
* Kidney
* Pancreas
* Heart
* Lung
* Intestine
* Cornea
* Middle ear
* Skin
* Bone
* Bone marrow
* Heart valves
* Connective tissue
Who can donate?
10