PSA

Long time no post.

I received a letter a few days ago about a change in the UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) rules for distribution of donated livers. Currently the rules state that when an liver becomes available, it goes to the closest local sickest person. For example, if a liver is available in Tulsa, Ok and there is a really sick person in OKC, but a sicker person in Austin, TX; the person in OKC gets the liver. The proposed rule (proposal #3) will change this so that it is the sickest person in a region who gets first choice. Thus the liver in Tulsa would go to the person in Austin.

Why is this bad! Well, if this was in pace say ten years ago I wouldn't be writing this blog. I wasn't on deaths door before my transplant, in fact if I had been I would not have been eligible to receive one. My liver decease put me at high risk for liver cancer, so I needed a transplant before I got cancer. They don't transplant the livers into people with liver cancer.


Currently some state have higher populations of transplant patients then other states, and some states have higher donation rates. The only reason to propose this rule is to attempt to equalize the liver transplant list. But it does not equalize all organ transplant lists.

Some questions I have: Why isn't this for all organ transplantation and is it right to try and create an affirmative action like policy when dealing with saving of life?

The proposal is open for comment until Friday the 24th, follow the link above to read it and comment on it.

Consider this a Public Service Announcement.