Alcoholic dies after being refused transplant

[Flyndaran]

Possible. Universe knows, wouldn't be the first time people have mixed up threads.

On topic: Dammit, why can't we grow livers yet! This is 2009! We're supposed to have flying cars and space cities! Geez.

I' ve seen on a special Nova that a woman just got liver cells to grow and live outside a body for I think 6 weeks. Baby steps.

[SorryIsGoodEnough]

This scares me.

I don't know what the laws are where I live, but I've attempted suicide a couple times, damaging my liver. Liver function tests are always a concern. What if I need a transplant in a couple years because of what I've done? And then it's determined that I don't deserve a chance, now that I've finally regained the desire to live?

I think they should have given him the transplant.

[anriana]

This scares me.

I don't know what the laws are where I live, but I've attempted suicide a couple times, damaging my liver. Liver function tests are always a concern. What if I need a transplant in a couple years because of what I've done? And then it's determined that I don't deserve a chance, now that I've finally regained the desire to live?

I think they should have given him the transplant.

Why do you, who has a likelihood of lapsing back to suicidal, deserve a limited resource more than someone who got liver cancer?

[BroomJockey]

And then it's determined that I don't deserve a chance, now that I've finally regained the desire to live?

Apples to oranges, honestly. You said "several years from now." I assume it's been a while since you've tried anything, and that supposes it will be several years on until you need one. If you've gotten help in the intervening time, then what you've done previously would be immaterial. He was actively engaged in the destruction of his liver right up until he required the transplant. You'd have demonstrated the requisite desire to change your behaviour, by changing your behaviour. Not the same in the slightest.

Now, if you suddenly decided to try again, and THEN required a transplant, you'd be in the same boat. And again, if you'd enough time before the transplant became critical, you could get MORE help, and qualify. He simply didn't have the time to prove his desire to change, and died for his own actions.

[Gost2036]

Something that has been overlooked as far as I can tell so far is that they refused not to give him a liver but to put him on the waiting list for one. Given his condition the chances of even living long enough to find a compatible liver was scarce.