When checking the blog stats this morning, I noticed a huge jump in hits yesterday. It took me a bit to figure out why, since it’s been a few days since I’ve posted anything.
It turns out that NBC Dateline broadcast a story on the death of Ruben Navarro and the trial of Dr. Hootan Roozrokh last night. A bunch of folks found this blog using their search engines. (Ruben Navarro died after an aborted attempt at Donation after Cardiac Death – DCD – in a nightmarish scenario that has been described in this blog and elsewhere.)
The story contains some important updates and leaves many important questions just hanging.
First, though, it’s probably most important to share the news that not only was Dr. Roozrokh exonerated by a jury, but Ruben Navarro’s mother now sees him as someone who did the best he could in a bad situation.
From the transcript to “A Matter of Time“:
After the trial, the California medical board, which had also launched an investigation of Dr. Roozrokh, quietly withdrew it. And Rosa withdrew her lawsuit. And this is rare. Her lawyer attached a letter of apology: “We believe you acted ethically and in good faith society will be best served if you are allowed to apply… your talents as a transplant surgeon and continue saving lives. “
That doesn’t mean that what happened with Ruben Navarro was acceptable or that there aren’t important questions left hanging that will now never be answered:
- Rosa Navarro claimed that she was told that Ruben could only be on a ventilator for five days and then would be taken off; Who told her this? Was it hospital policy? No hospital representative in coverage has confirmed or denied this claim.
- What happened to the medical chart containing the minute by minute recording of Ruben Navarro’s vital signs that night? Why was nurse Carla Albright, the transplant coordinator who had a heavy hand in this mess, never called as a witness?
- Was Ruben Navarro really dying? Dr. Roozrokh himself noted how hard his body rallied to continue to live even after ventilator removal and the administration of morphine and ativan. Was Rosa Navarro misled in some way?
It’s frustrating that as I read the transcript over, almost everyone involved in the story seems more concerned with this story’s negative impact on organ donation than the particulars of Ruben Navarro’s death. It would be nice to see some indication that some of the professionals felt a little worse about that. –Stephen Drake
Having viewed this case on Dateline last night, I am uncomfortable with the entire system in place for organ/tissue donation. Extremely easy to be a donor. Extremely difficult if you change your mind. I have been attempting all day to request my name be removed from the Illinois Donor Registry. It has proven extremely difficult, time consuming and frustrating. After reaching an unpublished number at the Secretary of State’s office, the woman I spoke with referred me back to an 800 number on the donor site that wasn’t working. I told her I had attempted both the Chicago and Springfield number and neither worked. She then stated she would take my name off the registry. She asked for my driver’s license number, name and address, which I gave her. When I hung up, I realized I would also need to have this changed on my driver’s license. So I called this unpublished Secretary of State number back a d asked her how I would have donor status removed from my drivers license. She stated that if I were in an accident, they would check the Registry – not my drivers license. And she stated that they wouldn’t check the Registry until I was declared dead. I then called the Chicago Drivers Services number again, telling the woman who answered that “I finallyhad been able to have myname removed from the donor registry,” and before I could ask my question about how to have donor status removed from my driver’s license, there was a click and I was listening to an automated message. So I went downtown to visit Drivers Services in person and asked how I could have my donor status be removed from my license today. She said I would have to see the supervisor in the back. I waited and there were others waiting ahead of me, to speak to the supervisor. My patience finally wore thin and I left to walk to the Tribune. On the way, I stopped and told my story to the receptionist at ABC. I told my story to a guard at the Tribune. I sent an email to investigative reporter Pam Zekman. So far, I haven’t any confirmation that I am, indeed, off the Illinois Donor Registry. And I still have no answer as to how to remove my donor status from my driver’s license.
October 8, 2013 Follow up to above dilemma: I waited another 3 years and 8 months, until it was time to renew my Illinois drivers license, to finally have my Organ Donor status removed from my physical drivers license.
First I cry, then I get angry and “do” something, as can. Just been to your personal blog first. I do all my work from home, as can, but I do count my infrequent trips out into my city midtown (short cab rides) as opportunities for advocacy, for CFS/ME, for justice for all of us who are “dissed” and society would….I was going to say “waste us”… (I can’t even use the slang of “waste” us,meanng kill, because the medical profession, too often, sees us as combination of burden and organ donations “on the hoof” or guerney.)…
I still have strong feelings about Ruben Navarro’s murder. I won’t do any psychologizing about his mom, but the poor woman has to sleep at night and whatever peace she can get with what happened is OK…
Transcript:
Hootan Roozrokh: For 98 percent of these cases to go forward, someone has to die.
end quote.
I don’t subscribe to your philosophy, MR. Roozrokh.