From "UK Woman'sTransplanted Kidney Is Now 100 Years Old", a 68-year-old woman who received a kidney transplant from her 57-year-old mother 43 years ago, is still alive with a good quality of life. Doctors are astonished by this because it defies all traditional predictions that transplanted kidney should continue to function for only around two decades. (2016)
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My Yes/No question is:
Are you willing to donate half of your kidneys to your relatives in need?
My answer is:
Yes, but they should be only my close relatives and my love one.
As I read this piece of news, I feel the similar way to those doctors - astonished by the finding that kidney transplant could last for 43 years! It is very respectful that one’s decision of sacrificing half of kidney to the others could bring about such a tremendous result like this.
To donate half of your healthy kidney is clinically proved as a safe process to do. Your remaining half kidney is adequate to work perfectly for the entire of your life. In addition, there is only a risk from operational process, which is not more dangerous than appendectomy (to get rid of inflamed appendix) or a caesarean section (to deliver baby), that you might take. In this case, because the donor is the mother of the receiver, medical issue such as tissue incompatibility is relatively minimum. They can undergo transplantation process whenever they need. However, the other issue which is “a willingness” could be more controversial to consider. For me, although
For me, although I acknowledge that the process of donating kidney is quite safe, I still hesitate to make a decision whether I will do this for my relatives because I will still get injured from the operational process, and also have to deal with my own psychological problem (Concern of missing kidney). What I think is that “When comparing between hurt and love which one is outweighed?” My answer would be positive if relatives were my father, mother, close siblings, and my love one. Resurrecting their lives and letting them live longer with me would be my ultimate happiness. However, for the other cases, it is quite hard for me to say yes at once. I will have to ponder a lot to make a decision, and a negative answer is more likely to be established. How is about your idea? Do you say yes or no to this controversial question? If yes, who will be those fortunate people who get a chance to see the world longer?
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Reference
UK Woman's
Transplanted Kidney Is Now 100 Years Old. (2016, August 10). IFL Science.
Retrieved from http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/uk-womans-transplanted-kidney-is-now-100-years-old/
Ken's post and Yes/No question made me think of a slightly different situation. Should the law require that the organs of all dead bodies be available for doctors to take the hearts, kidneys and other useful organs to transplant into the sick to save lives?
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people who need organs die because they don't get the organ they need in time. If doctors could take healthy organs from all dead bodies, that would help.
And now I've got another idea, after just finishing my first 500 ml of coffee for the day, perhaps we should let people sell their extra kidneys to those who need one? How much would you want to sell your spare kidney to someone else?
Our topic in Quest is economic and the laws of supply and demand, so this question seems relevant to me.
In case of dead bodies, we can use their organs to transplant into the sick only if they signed a consent document to willingly donate their specific organ or their whole bodies to any medical purposes.
DeleteFurthermore, selling your own kidney to the others is now prohibited by law. While we are alive, we can only donate our kidney to relatives and a married couple. However, there are still people sneak to sell their kidney to someone in need as well. As I have ever heard, these people are normally in great demand of money so they sell their kidney too cheap like it is priceless - for some price which is below 10,000 THB.
I'd only give it to my very close relatives without hesitation. But for others, no if i'm still alive. I barely know my relatives. Since I was young, visiting them is something I don't like.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate people who donate their body to those who in need or for medical research. I'm thinking about doing this too. But I got a weird feeling every time I think about it. So, I'll think about it late and I'm not going to make a decision soon.
Few days ago, I saw a video on Facebook about a bride walked down aisle in her wedding by a man who has her father's heart. Her father was murdered ten years ago. His donation saved the guy life. She asked him to go to her wedding to feel her father's heartbeat again. It's sad and beautiful at the same time how one's life that ended can save another.
I only read the title of that story, but it did sound, as Bonus says, beautiful. There are so many promising articles to read and so little time. Thankfully, everyone is doing a great job here of introducing us to new stories in the news and ideas related to them.
DeleteI heard about a girl who donated one of her kidneys to her father. It has been five years already from the day of operation. There has no any negative side effects to her since then. When giving out something , many people think we are loosing something. In fact, we do gain some other things instead. Giving out a kidney to parent or others, you develop generosity and kindness which not so many people can do; the only people with high moral can afford to do.
ReplyDeleteAlthough donating a half of kidneys might not be dangerous, I haven't make a decision to donate my kidney for my family or my love. I haven't even donated my blood to other people because I'm afraid of my blood will be lost too much. But if one day my father, mother, relatives, or my love need my kidney or other parts of my body, I feel free to donate and help them to be alive. Because I would like them to live with me as long as possible. I've heard that a kidney in every people is the most expensive part of the body, is it true or false?
ReplyDeleteI like Oat's question. How much is a kidney? What is the fair price for a kidney? And a liver? A heart?
DeleteMy guess is that hearts are more expensive than kidneys, but I have no idea how the prices compare. And who gets the money?