2 infants, 1 heart – and the media

Reporting on and reading about/listening to/watching human tragedy unfold is as old as the hills. We like to think that it’s in the interest of being informed, of being educated, of seeking ways to improve life. But is it? Or is it more sinister? Is it more a way of seeing how we feel about how others are doing things, of feeling superior, of thinking we would never have to make decisions or live through what others are?

I’m taking you back to the sad story of Kaylee Wallace and Lillian O’Connor once again (A transplant planned, a transplant not done , Judge not…lest you have to decide one day , andThe latest news on little Kaylee ). From what I’ve read, the only reason this came to be public knowledge was because Kaylee’s dad chose to make it so. He broke a lot of the rules associated with organ donation, including hand-picking who should get Kaylee’s heart, should she die. This goes against the rules because 1) donations go to those who are at the top of the list in need and 2) the donations are supposed to be anonymous at first.

I’m not saying that 1-month-old Lillian O’Connor isn’t at the top of the list of need – we don’t know that. But the rules are in place for a reason and they’re needed for many reasons.

Of course, this heart-tugging story, brought to the attention of the media, is great for readers. Many – including me – jumped on the bandwagon and began reporting on it. So, what is supposed to be a private family matter has become fodder for discussion around the world on the ethics of heart transplants.

What the Wallaces are going through is unimaginable to me. What the O’Conners are going through is equally unimaginable. I knew someone once who was waiting for a liver transplant and to know what has to happen to someone else for you to live is not an easy thing to think about.

Christie Blatchford, a writer for Canada’s Globe and Mail , wrote a good piece on this and I think it’s worth reading: In the depths of despair, the press always come out on top .

I hope that Lillian O’Connor lives. I hope that Kayee Wallace’s family gets peace, either with a child who lives and they can love, or she dies peacefully and pain-free. And I truly hope that this sad story hasn’t turned anyone off of organ donation – because that would just be another tragedy out of a series of tragedies.

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Images: Stock.xchnge and MorgueFile.com