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Kevorkian organ offer part of long-range plan
October 23, 1997
Web posted at: 10:56 p.m. EDT (0256 GMT)DETROIT (CNN) -- Between 70 and 100 times since 1990, Jack Kevorkian has helped someone commit suicide. But now, he wants to do something more -- make his patients' organs available for transplant.
"Death is totally negative, up to this point," Kevorkian explained during a news conference promoting an upcoming documentary. "When someone dies, it's negative. But then you get organs back, so here's a case where we can end the suffering of a patient and get organs back to save lives."
CNN's Greg Lamotte reports
Kevorkian first outlined his proposal in a book he wrote in 1991, "Prescription: Medicide," in which he described his mission as consisting of three phases. First, help terminally ill people end their suffering, which is how he characterizes assisted suicide. Second, find benefits from those deaths to help save others, such as transplanting organs.
The third phase is medical experimentation on humans.
"Several of my patients wanted ... to be put under irreversible anesthesia and instead of donating organs, they want an experiment done on the disease that's killing them," Kevorkian said. "That will come long after I'm dead because of this benighted society."
Kevorkian's lawyer, Geoffrey Fieger, says organs will be transplanted by Kevorkian himself -- even though his medical license is under suspension -- and by other licensed physicians. The organs will be made available in a very public, and unorthodox, way -- via a news conference.
"I will notify you that I have sitting next to me in an appropriate container, two kidneys and a liver in appropriate solutions," Fieger said. "Here are the tissue types, here are the blood types, here are the certifications of the non-communicable diseases."
"I am inviting the physicians of the world and the patients of the world who need them to call me immediately, and the first physician and patient who agrees to take the organs legitimately can have these organs."
Currently, there are about 55,000 people in the United States on a waiting list to receive transplants. It is illegal to buy or sell organs.
While there is suspicion that patients with fame or money receive preferential treatment, those who run the organ transplantation system insist that people in the greatest need, not with the greatest clout, are put at the top of the list.
"Is it possible in this country to go out and buy a kidney or a liver? I would say it's as close to impossible as there is," said Dr. David Goldstein, a medical ethicist.
Kevorkian's plan to transplant organs from those he helps to commit suicide is bound to be controversial. The head of one organ transplant organization, Gift of Life, says flat out that his offer is not welcome.
"There are enough organs (available) theoretically, from accidents and other trauma victims," said Thomas Beyersdorf. "The problem is getting families to say yes. We don't need to pursue convicted criminals and suicide victims."
There is also a question as to whether Kevorkian's patients would even be suitable donors.
Only about 30 percent of the people who die in the United States would qualify as donors because of rigid standards regarding their health. Because the patients Kevorkian assists are terminally ill, many in the medical profession question whether they could meet those standards.
Detroit Bureau Chief Ed Garsten and Correspondent Greg LaMotte contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Michigan suicide linked to Kevorkian - September 30, 1997
- Genetic engineering could overcome rejection problems - April 28, 1997
- One year later, transplant patient has new lease on life - December 20, 1996
- Tumor-ridden man has 6 new organs - August 14, 1995
Related sites:
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- TransWeb - all about transplantation and donation
- LifeNet
- The Kevorkian Verdict - Frontline/PBS
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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