Grisly tales emerge from investigation into high demand for human organs

The New York Times released a story detailing numerous incidents across the country where patients who had their organs harvested while they were still alive, calling into question the reliability of safeguards put in place to protect bodily autonomy. 

In one case, a surgeon cut into a woman’s chest only to find her heart still beating and her lungs breathing despite being declared dead after removal from a ventilator.

Another incident saw a patient being prepared for organ donations as she began to regain consciousness—and then later did. In a similar case, a man was said to be crying and biting his breathing tube in protest as clinicians removed him from life support. 

The New York Times also cited an incident where a man was asked for permission for doctors to pull out his organs, despite being alive and waking from sedation. 

Though these incidents are extreme, the outlet said its investigation “revealed a pattern of rushed decision-making that has prioritized the need for more organs over the safety of potential donors.”

As for cause, journalists Brian M. Rosenthal and Julie Tate said it may lie in how death is defined, often involving a physician’s judgment on recovery likelihood. Combined with the growing demand for transplants, this could be a fatal nightmare for patients and their families—especially if organ procurement groups influence medical decisions.

The journalists said 55 medical workers in 19 states shared stories related to organ harvesting that were disturbing. Further, probes by state and federal regulators uncovered dozens of cases of questionable organ harvesting practices.

In one of the incidents mentioned in the feature, family members reportedly had to intervene to save their loved one.

For a lot more, read the full story from the New York Times at the link below.