Jennifer Wederell, a 27 year old woman from Hawkwell, Essex, England, died of cancer after receiving the donor lungs of a smoker. Jennifer had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of two, and was using an oxygen tank 24/7. She had been on the waiting list for a lung transplant for 18 months; when Harefield Hospital in London had found a match, Jennifer and her family quickly agreed. However, the hospital never told her the lungs she was receiving were those of middle-aged heavy smoker.
Jennifer's dad, Colin Grannell, believed his daughter would not have taken the lungs if she was given a choice. The Harefield NHS Foundation Trust said that the risks are higher if the patient declines the donor lungs and waits for a match that is from a non-smoker. However, they did apologize for not giving Jennifer the choice.
Jennifer received the transplant in April of 2011, and married her fiance in September of 2011. In February 2012, a malignant mass was found in her lungs.
This is so crazy...how was the patient who was receiving the lungs, using the lungs, and living with the lungs not told that they were the lungs of a heavy smoker? Obviously, that raises a bunch of red flags: are our hospitals trustworthy? How common are smoker lungs used in transplants? This London hospital obviously knew the donor was a smoker. It makes me wonder if they gave the lungs to her without warning her because they wanted her off the waiting list, and wanted her money. This infuriates me- she died because of the hospital's mistake. Her father said, "she was dying a death that was meant for someone else," and I completely agree.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-20762437
That's so wrong that the hospital didn't give her a choice! I definitely agree that the hospital's trustworthiness is very questionable.
ReplyDeleteThey should've told her that they were smoker's lungs. Why would a smoker's lungs even be acceptable?
ReplyDeletem also wondering that, why would a smokers lungs be acceptable? That doesnt seem very safe. This is terrible, they should of atleast told her.
ReplyDeleteThat is really messed up how they did not tell her. I think they were just worrying about money instead of the patient.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you even take the lungs of a smoker? How do you give a person who needs something a messed up version of what they need?
ReplyDelete-Kennedi Mayes
Wow!! That's terrible! I don't understand how a heavy smoker can even donate their lungs!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of hospital would allow damaged lungs to be transplanted when they obviously knew these lungs came from a heavy smoker? They obviously knew that donor was not going to be healthy so why would they want to risk someone else's life just because the donor made bad decisions. Also, why did they not give the patient the choice as to whether she would want these damaged lungs? If the hospital was just in it for the money, that is terrible and that hospital needs to be shut down.
ReplyDelete