Category Archives: brain death

Four Years After His Death, Disabled 8-Year-Old’s Death in Organ Donation is Under Investigation

The LA Times is reporting that the  death of a disabled 8-year-old boy in 2013 is currently under investigation by Los Angeles police and the DA office. Back in 2013, Cole Hartman’s father found his son with his head submerged in their washing machine. Cole went into cardiac arrest, but paramedics were able to resuscitate him. … Continue reading Four Years After His Death, Disabled 8-Year-Old’s Death in Organ Donation is Under Investigation

Let’s Have a REAL Discussion: Bioethicists Preach, Fail to Teach on Brain Death

By now, most readers of this blog are probably familiar with the story of Jahi McMath, a 13-year-old girl who underwent surgery on December 9, 2013 at Oakland Children’s Hospital.  During post-op recovery, she started bleeding.  Eventually, she went into cardiac arrest. She was then put on a ventilator. Two days later doctors made a … Continue reading Let’s Have a REAL Discussion: Bioethicists Preach, Fail to Teach on Brain Death

NY Lawsuit Claims Organ Donor Network Engaged in ‘Shameful Practices,’ Pressuring Staff and Families

There’s a potentially explosive lawsuit that’s gotten limited coverage so far.  As near as I can tell, the first story on it was published in the New York Post on September 26 of this year.  Here’s an excerpt from the news story in the Post: The New York Organ Donor Network pressured hospital staffers to … Continue reading NY Lawsuit Claims Organ Donor Network Engaged in ‘Shameful Practices,’ Pressuring Staff and Families

Wall Street Journal – NDY’s Coleman & Drake Pen Op-ed on Assisted Suicide, Brain Death and Advance Directives

Today’s (April 6, 2012) edition of the Wall Street Journal features an op-ed by Diane Coleman and Stephen Drake of Not Dead Yet.  It’s titled ‘Second Thoughts’ Grow on Assisted Suicide.”  You can read the first two paragraphs below.  At this time, full access to the article is available only to subscribers of the paper.  … Continue reading Wall Street Journal – NDY’s Coleman & Drake Pen Op-ed on Assisted Suicide, Brain Death and Advance Directives

The Onion: Brain-Dead Teen, Limited to Texting and Rolling Eyes, to be Euthanized (SATIRE)

I love The Onion. I’m pretty sure that the writers aren’t taking a position on euthanasia here, but doing what satirists do best; they’ve taken a well-known, overused, emotionally manipulative and predictable script – and then twisted the context. I apologize for the lack of captioning, but I couldn’t pass this up. If there’s a … Continue reading The Onion: Brain-Dead Teen, Limited to Texting and Rolling Eyes, to be Euthanized (SATIRE)