Drug Addict mother seeks second liver transplant....

[Kikki]

The West Australian Health Minister, Kim Hames, says to put a former drug addict back on a waiting list for a second liver transplant would be patently unfair.

Twenty-four-year-old Claire Murray continued to abuse drugs after undergoing a liver transplant last year and doctors in Perth have refused to put her back on the waiting list.

Dr Hames says three people died last year on that waiting list and putting Ms Murray back in line would be unfair for all those others waiting desperately for a transplant.

The mother of two young children has been told she only has months to live.

She desperately needs a second liver transplant but is being refused the life-saving operation.

Labor MP Martin Whitely says Ms Murray was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 12 and prescribed dexamphetamines which led to her addiction.

"Once the full facts are known the public will have nothing but sympathy for this young mum."

Dr Hames says it is a tragic case.

"You have to remember for her to get a liver transplant, somebody else dies so she's given the gift of life from someone who's passed and didn't take that chance."

Dr Hames says the government has offered to pay for Ms Murray and her father to travel to New Zealand to be assessed for a "live" liver transplant operation.

From: 'Patently unfair': Health Minister - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Does she deserve another chance?

[neet_wagon]

hell no.
Why should she? She was given a secong chance and blew it.
Its her own fault that she needs to go back on the list.
If she neede to go back on it because the first one didn't take it may well be different, but thats not case here.

[acarmody]

So does everyone who takes this 'dexamphetamines' stuff get a drug addiction. No, then tough crap to her. Has she undertaken any drug help classes?

[fkford]

if shes next on the list then give her it if its her turn...

[neet_wagon]

^^^ She's not on the list at the moment. (thats what I gathered anyway).

[Kikki]

No she isnt on the list atm.

I believe the way it works is you get bumped up the list when it comes to just how sick you are.

[VN_Luke]

Of course she deserves another chance - but the circumstances surrounding her need for another liver should be noted.

This way if a liver comes up and it's suitable for two people - someone on their 'first chance' gets it first. - it's not that hard.

Plus there's nothing to say here that her dex' addiction has had anything to do with her need for another liver. Perhaps it's completely unrelated?

Having said that, I trust the doctors that don't want to put her on the list, as they are the ones which are in the position to make any kind of assessment.

In either case - questions like this might not have to be asked, and people in this situation might not have to be 'judged' (nor would there be people dying on the waiting list) - if more people were registered as organ donors.

so... get off your asses, sign up, and stop hogging your organs - I'd rather my parts be re-used and live on - rather than eaten by bugs

Click here to register ONLINE - DO IT NOW!

For every person that signs up, a few lives can be saved

Think of it like sending yourself to the wreckers, where your parts will serve many for years to come - as opposed to the crusher, where you get a crappy price for scrap metal

[neet_wagon]

^^^ What if my parts are a bit worn out.... Perhaps the wreckers won't take me

[greenfoam]

If the health system is stupid enough to get a 12 year addicted to a persciption drug then they surely better keep giving her livers untill they get her off it

[VN_Luke]

^^^ What if my parts are a bit worn out.... Perhaps the wreckers won't take me

you can be the thrashed bogan commodore at the end of the VN line, with an ashtray full of smokes and hair all through the interior...... but the sunvisors are MINT

[minux]

She gets addicted to the drugs, she expects a second chance? **** no, alco's druggies, criminals should all be banned from transplant lists.

[ClairBear]

Of course she deserves another chance -

So if a loved one of yours died waiting for a liver that she took, then continued to live a wreckless life and needed another liver, you still would feel this way?

DMFD

[VN_Luke]

So if a loved one of yours died waiting for a liver that she took, then continued to live a wreckless life and needed another liver, you still would feel this way?

DMFD

I will reply to your quote, with my quote.

This way if a liver comes up and it's suitable for two people - someone on their 'first chance' gets it first. - it's not that hard.

... And if a loved one of yours with two small kids was left for dead because they had a drug/medicine (it's not even clear in the article what she's so addicted to) problem they needed help with, you'd still be saying DMFD?

[fkford]

bottom line is no pushing in! in my opinion anyway. If she was in the line and its her turn then fine no dramas but as kikki said, if its who is the sickest then she shouldnt be at the top im sure..

[vp_commo]

theres a lot more to this story than what it reads I bet.
There are not any drug addicts that need a liver transplant at 24 just from drugs, maybe at 44 but at 24 there are other issues with this woman.
Another example of media and government preying on public ignorence.

oh boy, what would this people do without the blissfully ignorrent public....

Dan

[minux]

... And if a loved one of yours with two small kids was left for dead because they had a drug/medicine (it's not even clear in the article what she's so addicted to) problem they needed help with, you'd still be saying DMFD?

I'd let it die, anyone who is an addict has no right to keep children. If she is an addict, why have the WA government let her keep the children? Best give them to a family member or adoptive couple who WANT children and not drugs.

[DerekP]

Everyone deserves a second chance. Unfortunatley for her, she had that already.

Time for yet another addict to face up to life and not keep blaming society for their lack of judgement and face the music. In this case the fat lady has sung.............

[VN_Luke]

bottom line is no pushing in! in my opinion anyway. If she was in the line and its her turn then fine no dramas but as kikki said, if its who is the sickest then she shouldnt be at the top im sure..

A lot of factors are taken into account.

how sick you are,
how old you are
how healthy you are otherwise,
how likely you are to survive the operation
how long you're likely to live afterwards
how long will you live if you don't get this *particular* transplant
what your lifestyle is like and whether or not you will just f*ck up again
compatibility of available liver
etc, etc etc.


I suspect that the doctors that don't want her on the list have analysed the situation, and made a decision accordingly.

I also suspect that because it is organ donor awareness week, they have made this decision to bring up awareness of donation. - which again brings up the fact, that if more people were donors, there wouldn't be such issues.

[greenfoam]

Luke could write 2 books on what he knows about this topic and all the feelings involved so it's at least worth remembering the little bit he's going to say about it even if it's converted into car speak and smashed VN's

[ClairBear]

... And if a loved one of yours with two small kids was left for dead because they had a drug/medicine (it's not even clear in the article what she's so addicted to) problem they needed help with, you'd still be saying DMFD?

Without hesitation. There is help for drug addicts and people with alcohol addictions etc. This person has repeatedly taken liver's other deserving people could have had and lived long and healthy lives, yet still fallen back to her drug habits. I would shed no tears over someone who deliberately wasted their life and would rather a donated organ was given to someone who would appreciate the chance at a healthier life. Her children are better off without her quite frankly, they are better being raised away from an addicted person to reduce the chances of them becoming the same way.

So yeah - DMFD.

[neet_wagon]

^^^ I always listen to someone who converts things into car-speak!!

[ClairBear]

Luke could write 2 books on what he knows about this topic and all the feelings involved so it's at least worth remembering the little bit he's going to say about it even if it's converted into car speak and smashed VN's

Yeah well I could write way more than 2. He is not the only expert on this subject

[greenfoam]

Yeah well I could write way more than 2. He is not the only expert on this subject

Regarding the transplant tho depends what each of you is talking about.

I don't know about and I'm not even on the donor list but I also wouldn't expect a parts donation, maybe if I had kids and a point to stay I would be on the list and want a transplant also. But I'm happy to listen to the experts

[VN_Luke]

I'm kinda glad I'm not close to people that would turn their back on a loved one and leave them for dead because they got hooked on some medication that was prescribed to them at a young age

Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with wasting presicous spares on people that are just going to stuff them. - I just think that to completely DENY someone being on the list, especially given the fact that they are young, with family, is a bit wrong.

Like I said earlier - put them on the list, and note the circumstances. That way if it comes down to a split; the person with the higher probability of recovery to a full and healthy life gets the organ.

... after all, if you don't put them on the list at all - a healthy liver that could have saved their life might go in the bin.

Again - in either case, regardless of your views on this particular case, knowledge/experience/beliefs on organ transplants, thoughts on rights to bear children, etc - the fact remains that the more organs donated, the better for everyone.

[ClairBear]

Sorry but I don't buy the whole sob story about her continuing addiction from ADD medication as a child. We all have choices as an adult and as a parent we also have choices in how we raise our children, and how our actions, habits and lifestyle affect our children also.

Nothing has stopped this grown woman from seeking help. The minute she fell pregnant with her first child for instance and every minute of the day since, she could have at any given point made the decision to get help for her addiction. She chose not to.

If they were denying her being on the list the first time she needed a transplant, one could argue that following her life saving donation she would get off the gear and turn her life around, however did she? No - she just thumbed her nose at the world and continued down the merry path of destruction.

She had a her chance and blew it.