Surprising Realities of Brain Death and Organ Donation Part 1

A silent and deadly epidemic is moving across our country. Diagnoses of brain death have been steadily increasing over the past several years. Decisions by medical professionals are being made quickly and with subjective criteria. Lucrative financial outcomes can be a factor in determining a brain death diagnosis. Long-term care can incur high costs for hospitals. And many patients declared brain dead are perfect candidates for organ harvesting, a procedure that financially benefits the medical community.  So-called brain dead patients are being dismissed as too expensive to keep alive and beyond hope. But families need to remain strong, be patient, and hold on to hope for their loved ones’ sake. In this episode:

• Paul Byrne, MD, president of Life Guardian Foundation
• Jenny Hamann, who husband was pressured to donate her organs–three weeks before she awoke from a coma on her way to full recovery.
• Theresa Dampf, a nurse who works with transplant patients and describes the misconceptions about what happens when permission for organ donation is given.
• Angela Clemente, a forensics investigative analyst who advocates for families facing pressure to donate a loved one’s organs.

(Season 8, Episode 7)