Want to hear something that will make you even more afraid?
There are folks pushing for organ harvesting BEFORE brain death (and I am not talking about the rumors that China is harvesting organs from living prisoners)
I was trying to find a story from about 10 years ago about a mom that was "encouraged" to allow her son's organs to be harvested (I think it was in Colorado - I am fairly certain it was on cnn.com) when I stumbled across doctors pushing for organ harvesting at "Cardiac Death".
From the link I am about to put out there, this is their rationale:
"Transplantation is usually performed using brain dead donors."
"Many potential donors expire without meeting brain death criteria."
"Donation after cardiac death (DCD) may significantly increase the available pool of donor organs."
"DCD=donation after cardiac death (patient is NOT “brain dead”)"
"Support withdrawn in planned fashion, donor allowed to expire (controlled DCD)"
Are you KIDDING ME?!?!? (sadly I am not)
They go on to explain that at their clinic alone they did this 24 times to people between the age of 10 and 59 between August of 2004 and October of 2009 as part of their "study." They didn't even wait for the folks to be brain dead before they started harvesting parts. They admit that the "perception" of DCD and the issue of death announcements are future challenges. You think? People have a problem with you cutting up an injured (but not dead or braindead person) so you can give their organs to someone else? Really?