Teen Surviving 118 Days Without a Heart
I recently wrote an article proposing a structure to compensate those who contribute body parts to medical research. It was entitled, "Stealing What's Free: Exploring Compensation to Body Parts Sources for Their Contribution to Profitable Biomedical Research," and it was published in 2006 in Franklin Pierce Law Center's Law Review journal. I have always had a fascination with biomedical advances, and I wrote this article with those interests in mind.
Five hundred miles from my office in Jacksonville, Florida, a 14 year-old girl in Miami made headlines for surviving 118 days without a heart. When her doctors discovered she had an enlarged heart, she had to have a heart transplant. Unfortunately, when her body rejected the new heart, she had to be put on artificial heart pumps until she was strong enough to undergo a second transplant surgery.
Although this procedure is routinely done for adult patients, this case was unusual, because this procedure is rarely done with pediatric patients. If not for advances in medicine, this girl's chances of survival would likely have been miniscule. The public ought to be better educated about medical advances, and encouraged to participate and contribute in biomedical research. Investments in research facilities and universities ought to continue, such that advances can continue, and improve or prolong lives.
