The Gift of Life and the Common Good: The Need for a Communal Approach to Organ Procurement

Abstract

Its critics to the contrary, the “gift of life” metaphor is not to be blamed for the indebtedness and guilt that organ recipients often experience. It is certainly misused, however, both by post‐transplant caregivers, who exploit it to manipulate recipients' behavior, and by the organ procurement system, which has failed to understand that the decision to give the gift of life must be approached communally.

Recipients??? Perceptions of Their Transplanted Kidneys

“…These feelings of gratitude that one would normally express towards an actual person might have been triggered by the open-ended question which asked, "What would you like to say to your new kidney?" As in previous studies, the patients felt the need to express their appreciation to their donor kidney as acutely as they did to the donor himself/herself, to the donor's family and to the healthcare team (13,14,17).…”

Gift of life or sacrifice?: key discourses to understanding organ donor families' decision-making

“…Using data extracts from a series of three studies carried out with donor families, we examine the application of the gift of life and sacrifice to their organ donation decision-making. The gift of life discourse enshrines the ethos of organ donation (Kuczewski, 2002;Lauritzen, McClure, Smith, & Trew, 2001;Siminoff & Chillag, 1999;Vernale & Packard, 1990). It is embedded in the rhetoric of the pro-donation lobby and the promotion, philosophy, and legislation of a number of powerful organisations.…”

Neither property right nor heroic gift, neither sacrifice nor aporia: the benefit of the theoretical lens of sharing in donation ethics

“…Still, however, the focus on the individual has gained much traction in property rights discussions, and this is unfortunate. It is unfortunate since post mortem organ donation evokes ardent questions about how to understand relational aspects of the decision-making process where relatives in bereavement and shock need to make decisions about donation (Lauritzen, et al 2001;see also Mongoven, 2003). Relational aspects lie also at the heart of live organ donation between familymembers or friends where donation can be a response to the long-term suffering of a close one and evoke concerns about social pressure to donate.…”