I must confess there is something about this story that still rubs me the wrong way.
To put this in perspective.
The man who got my daughters lungs had been on the waiting list for two years and four months. at that time in August 2005 there were more then 3000 people on the waiting list for lungs.
One of the men who got one of Christina's kidneys had been on the waiting list for two years and eight months. The other man who got her other kidney had been on the waiting list for two years. at that point in 2005, 62,000 people were waiting for kidneys.
The young woman who got her heart had been waiting for almost two years.
The list goes on and on.
I hope this works and works for a long time because it's going to cause an even bigger uproar if she doesn't make it. I don't like the fact that this became important because she became a news story. Everyone who is in need of that kind of help should be a news story then.
I hope no one dies because they got bumped by this becoming national news.
And yeah I know I have a bias about this.
I absolutely agree with everything you've said Dan. The positive light I can see shining over this story is that because it became a news story, things might change for thousands of other children who would not be allowed organs from the adult organ pool. There are also surely situations like this where the rules are broken to save a child that don't make it into the news.
Not everyone can be this lucky, but one child being this lucky, news story or not, is a triumph for humanity and also potentially a catalyst for change for the better.
I still find it incredible that we as a species can get along for the most part without killing each other. The world's number one predator developed the concept of 'friends' without any other reason than our desire to evolve. The fact that we can save one life is a miracle of evolution. The fact that we can bring relief and joy to one family like this is beyond the comprehension of mother nature who is a cruel and unforgiving mistress.
It's not fair on everyone. It is still a miracle of a situation in this random carbon based sludge-fest