Did Mickey Mantle, center fielder for the Yankees, get preferential treatment when he received a liver transplant in 1995? What about more recent controversies from Natalie Cole’s kidney transplant to Steve Jobs’ liver transplant? The short answer for our volunteers remains: Donation and transplantation save lives and when someone is waiting on that UNOS (United Network of Organ Sharing) waiting list for a transplant, it doesn’t matter if you’re rich and famous. The sickest and the best match will get the next available organ. But it does get complicated.
Mickey Mantle received no preferential treatment. He got a liver transplant while waiting on the list because he was the sickest and the best match. One good source of info is this web site at stason.org
Natalie Cole was listed on the UNOS waiting list for a kidney transplant. The family of a deceased fan offered their loved one’s kidney to the singer in May 2009. That is called directed donation and does not directly involve the list. Many question the ethics but the donor family had that right. A good source of info is this site at cnn.com
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computers, recently received a liver transplant. Jobs’ controversy deals with his listing at multiple transplant centers. He received his transplant in Tennessee where the waiting list is shorter, not in California where he lives. He was on the UNOS list. He was the sickest and best match. The question is whether he had an unfair advantage being able to afford to fly to another state. More info at bloomberg.com
How should volunteers answer these and other questions?
In most cases, you won’t be asked questions about Mickey, Natalie or Steve. If you want to, you can say, “I don’t know about that, but let me tell you what I do know.” Each of you can say with authority exactly what your experience was. Your stories can emphasize:
- Top notch medical care
- Dignity and respect for your loved one
- A sense of pride that your loved one has helped so many people
- Always gratitude for our donor’s and donor families. Without their decision to donate, transplantation could not happen.
Jeff Richert Volunteer Coordinator
4 responses so far ↓
Don Nygaard // July 2, 2009 at 5:10 pm |
I always bring these up when I talk to school groups, although I didn’t remember Cole.
I like to bring up Natasha Richardson. I’m assuming that the news that she was a donor was correct.
She didn’t have to be rich or poor or famous to become a donor.
If life were fair, nobody would need a transplant.
Medical care is for people who need it, whoever they are.
jeffrichert // July 23, 2009 at 4:28 pm |
I tried to talk about Natalie and Jobs at my last class and it didn’t go so well. I had to write it down to make sense of if myself. Hard to explain to the general public and I won’t bring it up again unless someone else brings it up first. I like your Natasha Richardson take on things. Thanks Don.
s miller // July 21, 2009 at 4:25 pm |
my niece is dead of kidney failure at age 54 because she did not have any money and was just not important enough. now tell me how wonderful our doctors and hospitals are. bad taste!
jeffrichert // July 23, 2009 at 4:21 pm |
Obviously she was important enough. Your niece deserved a chance. What happened? I know far too many who didn’t make it because there wasn’t an organ available.