itt_unit_8_body_donor_worksheet.docx
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Ethics HU4640.U8.WS2 Body Donor Worksheet Name: ________________________ In the United States it is currently illegal to sell body parts for transplant purposes. It is legal in some other countries, and some desperately poor people will sell a kidney or other organ for transplant purposes in exchange for enough money to help their family survive and avoid hunger. Case Study: Your friend comes to you and explains that he or she has large debts, more than they can pay, and that their family is in desperate need of money. They had themselves tested and it turns out that several of their body parts are exact matches for wealthy people who need them and are willing to pay. Your friend could sell one kidney, an eye, their bone marrow, and half their liver. The bone marrow will grow back but the procedure of extracting it is extremely painful at the best of times. The liver will probably grow back over a period of years. The other organs will be permanently removed. Your friend has not yet signed the paperwork indicating which, if any, organs they will donate. As part of explaining this, your friend hands you the paperwork and the plane tickets that will take them to another country where the surgeries will be performed. You are standing next to the office shredder. If your friend does not show up, then the people who need the organs will go to a different donor who is not as good of a match for them. The class will discuss the following questions. For each, make a few notes about your answer and about the ethical approach behind your answer. What advice do you give them? -1- Change Date: <MM/DD/YYYY>
Transcript of itt_unit_8_body_donor_worksheet.docx
Ethics HU4640.U8.WS2
Body Donor Worksheet
Name: ________________________
In the United States it is currently illegal to sell body parts for transplant purposes. It is legal in some other
countries, and some desperately poor people will sell a kidney or other organ for transplant purposes in
exchange for enough money to help their family survive and avoid hunger.
Case Study:
Your friend comes to you and explains that he or she has large debts, more than they can pay,
and that their family is in desperate need of money. They had themselves tested and it turns out
that several of their body parts are exact matches for wealthy people who need them and are
willing to pay. Your friend could sell one kidney, an eye, their bone marrow, and half their liver.
The bone marrow will grow back but the procedure of extracting it is extremely painful at the best
of times. The liver will probably grow back over a period of years. The other organs will be
permanently removed. Your friend has not yet signed the paperwork indicating which, if any,
organs they will donate.
As part of explaining this, your friend hands you the paperwork and the plane tickets that will take
them to another country where the surgeries will be performed. You are standing next to the
office shredder. If your friend does not show up, then the people who need the organs will go to a
different donor who is not as good of a match for them.
The class will discuss the following questions. For each, make a few notes about your answer and about
the ethical approach behind your answer.
What advice do you give them?
Do you drop the tickets and paperwork into the shredder?
-1- Change Date: <MM/DD/YYYY>
Ethics HU4640.U8.WS2
Should your advice be affected by whether or not the people receiving the organs are likely to die
without them?
Should your advice be affected by whether or not the people receiving the organs destroyed their
original organs through drug abuse or poor decision-making?
Should your advice be affected by the reasons why your friend wants the money?
Re-read your answers above. What ethical approaches are you using most often?
(Hint: this information may help you with your course project.)
-2- Change Date: <MM/DD/YYYY>
