THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 29, 1995 TAG: 9508290002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Mickey Mantle was an idol of my generation. My brothers and I collected baseball cards with his picture on them.
I was saddened that he died. However, it is my feeling that he did receive preferential treatment in getting a liver transplant, apparently shortcutting the established qualification process.
Two years ago my husband died while waiting for a liver transplant. It took approximately six months from the time his condition was diagnosed until he was placed on the waiting list. Before he could even be considered for a transplant, he had to undergo a week of invasive, aggressive and painful evaluation testing. This battery of tests was designed to determine if he had any condition which would affect the success of the surgery. We were given a three-ring binder which outlined all the processes involved in a transplant, including the criteria to decide who is eligible. One of the definite exclusions listed was cancer. My husband would not have been allowed to be put on the waiting list if he had had cancer.
There was a very good reason for that. There is a shortage of organs to be transplanted. Those organs that become available (because someone has lost a life) are considered to be a life. A healthy transplanted organ could likely be invaded by an existing malignancy, and a life could be wasted. Therefore, according to the information we received, someone with cancer would not be a candidate for a transplant.
My point: If there are existing criteria for determining eligibility, there should be no exceptions. It would seem that if Mr. Mantle had undergone the tests my husband went through, an aggressive malignancy such as he had would have shown up somewhere. Indeed, as sick as he must have been at the time, he might not even have survived those tests!
No matter what those associated doctors claim, a life was wasted.
MARY DEMPSEY
Virginia Beach, Aug. 17, 1995 by CNB