The Organ Donor Experience
Good Samaritans and the Meaning of Altruism
By (author) Katrina A. Bramstedt, Rena Down
Publication date:
22 September 2011Length of book:
192 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442211155
With a current US need of over 115,000 organs one would think that Good Samaritan donors would be welcomed with open arms by transplant centers and society in general; however, this is often not the case. Tell someone that you have donated an organ to a stranger and the reaction is likely to be one of astonishment and disbelief. Some doctors even consider people who offer their organs to strangers crazy. Why would anyone do that? Who are these people so committed to helping others-strangers-that they would undergo surgery, discomfort, and disruption of their lives?
This book profiles donors who have offered their organs to strangers and helps readers understand the meanings behind their donations. For the donor, altruism should always be the primary motivation, though other motivations often come into play. Often, there are also subconscious reasons for performing this great act of kindness. The Organ Donor Experience gives living anonymous organ donors of kidneys, liver lobes, and lung lobes the opportunity to tell their stories as they understand them, and for others to understand the motivations and the meaning of true altruism.
This book profiles donors who have offered their organs to strangers and helps readers understand the meanings behind their donations. For the donor, altruism should always be the primary motivation, though other motivations often come into play. Often, there are also subconscious reasons for performing this great act of kindness. The Organ Donor Experience gives living anonymous organ donors of kidneys, liver lobes, and lung lobes the opportunity to tell their stories as they understand them, and for others to understand the motivations and the meaning of true altruism.
Many discussions of organ donation focus on the shortages of organs and the needs of recipients. This book provides a unique and compelling perspective. Bramstedt (consultant, California Transplant Donor Network), a medical ethicist, and Down, a writer and recipient of a kidney from a stranger, have written an engaging book that highlights the lives of living donors who have given organs to people whom they do not know. The authors seamlessly weave together a scholarly analysis of organ donation to strangers and the stories of these donors. The stories illustrate commonalities, such as a history of altruism and a sense of abundance, and unique aspects of donors' lives, such as the decision-making processes by which individuals became donors. The analysis and stories are challenging, leading the reader to welcome the appendix of resources for those who want more information. The authors are honest in presenting the risks of donation, but the overall tone is positive. Bramstedt and Down are to be commended for informing readers about an underreported aspect of organ donation and honoring these "good Samaritans" in this scholarly and readable book. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.