Question about compensation

[CARas]

 I am really just curious why people are not compensated for donating kidneys or other organs? After all women are paid to donate their eggs.  I see it on Craig's List all all the time.

I am donating a kidney as soon as lose a little more weight.

[Fr Pat]

     In the U.S. a kidney, liver or lung donor may be reembursed legally for all expenses related to the donation and recovery, including lost wages, but it is not legal to receive any money or "material compensation" above that. Since these donors experience a permanent loss of an organ or part of an organ, the laws may be stricter?
      best wishes,
    Fr. Pat

[sherri]

The biggest issue with being paid for a solid organ is that the fear that the most vulnerable and poor get taken advantage of. People in very poor countries are exploited by organ traffickers who promise them money in return for giving up a kidney. Often these people are not tested properly, the conditions are unmonitored, they have no follow and fall prey to exploitation and never see any of the money.Even if they are paid, the money goes fast to repay debts and they are right back where they started but now in a very compromised state of health. Google organ trafficking or places like Moldovia and you will see why it is against the law to buy and sell organs. Even if it was legal to sell/buy organs greed always seems to be rear its head. There would always be a black market, i think.

It is true that people are compensated for eggs, sperm, blood products (sometimes). These are not for the most part renewable with much less risk of surgery involved. Personally, I am against the sale of organs but I feel that donors should be compensated by having receiving lifetime Medicare benefit for life for their health care. Donors save Medicare billions of dollars by having patients come off dialysis or not have to go on dialysis. This savings should certainly be invested in donors.

Interesting debate though.

Good luck with your weight loss and overall getting healthy to donate. The key of course will be maintaining a healthy lifestyle after donation and for the rest of your life. Always a challenge for me that i work on daily.

Sherri

[livingdonor101]

All studies from countries where organ vending has occured (legal or illegal) concludes that while the recipient, broker, and surgeon/hospital fare well, the living donor/vendor/seller does not. Physical complications, psychological/emotional consequences, financial constraints (due to the aforementioned) and reduced quality of life.

Ghods, Naqvi & Moazam are just a few of the authors of these studies.


PS. As I'm sure you're aware Sherri, the 1972 end-stage renal disease act gave a Medicare benefit to living kidney donors. Unfortunately, it was never implemented, and it is now denied. There are a couple of transplant coordinators that are fighting to obtain the benefit for specific living donors who have suffered complications (sorry, can't give you more info than that)

[CARas]

I understand what you are all saying about ruthless people but what if a person was only compensated after completing all the necessary testing counseling etc and did the donation? Again I am really just curious about this like I said women are generously compensated for donating eggs or even their body by being a surrogate.

Once the egg is fertilized there is life well at least that's how I feel and when you can hear the heart beating you can't tell me there is not life there.  Not trying to get into ethical or religious confrontation.

 Another question say  for some reason I am not able to donate a kidney would I still be able to donate a liver or pancreas? Or is kidney the only living donor organ avalable. I thought i had read where it is possible to donate a portion of a liver and it regenerates afterwards.

Thanks

[Fr Pat]

     It is possible to donate a liver lobe while alive. The donated lobe will grow larger in the recipient, and the remaining portion in the donor will grow larger as well. Living liver donation requires much more invasive surgery for the donor (as compared to kidney donation), has a longer and more difficult recovery time and a much higher rate of post-donation complications that require a second surgery to fix.
    It is possible to donate a lung lobe while living. (Two donors each donate a lobe to the same recipient.) The donor suffers a permanent loss of some lung function. Because of the difficulties and risks I am not sure if living lung transplants are done often now
     Some of the health conditions which would prevent someone from donating a kidney would also exclude them from donating other organs.
      Best wishes,
         Fr. Pat

[Scott337]

Many states have enabling legislation that also provides tax-credits for living donor expenses that may not have been covered in any other format.  The “Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act of 2009 provides Federal enablement for the States in the Federal Tax Code buy you'd have to check with your State Department of Revenue about the legislation and conditions of the credit.

God Bless you for considering such a generous gift my friend.  Prayers for you during your anticipated journey.


Scott