RE: Selling Organs?

This post is in response to Megan Courtney’s post.

I completely agree.  I mean, lets be honest, selling organs is pretty creepy.  Imagine walking into your local convenience store with a shopping list in hand.  Your list reads: milk, eggs, butter, NEW KIDNEY.  I mean what the hell, buy organs is insane!  As I said in my post, it presents a health risk to donor and recipients alike.

Ok, ok.  I realize that it is highly unorthodox to criticize an idea like selling organs by saying you can buy them in a convenience store, but you all get the point.  Doesn’t anyone find it slightly odd that I could just walk in to a hospital and say, “where do I sell my kidney?”  It seems a little funny to me.  It strikes a funny feeling in a lot of people, which is part of the reason it is illegal.  Not only does in NOT happen, but it SHOULD NOT happen.  People who are only interested in selling organs for profit cannot be expected to be thinking about all the risks involved with giving up part of their bodies to give to another person in exchange for monetary compensation.

Arguments about the eradication of the transplant waiting list can be made, but how realistic can these really be? Not all parts can be donated while retaining the life of the donor.  This is why medical experts examine those who have died or will die, to see if their organs are satisfactory to be used in saving the lives of others.  If we use some of their parts, why can’t we use all of them? If they are in ok shape, why not use all parts that the patient has given consent to be used.