hjmick
04-01-2008, 10:36 AM
It is impossible for me to fathom what these parents are going through. First the loss of their son, then to find out that his donated organs are killing the recipients. By doing the right thing you inadvertently kill people? The guilt must be one hell of a burden.
Teen's Donated Organs Spread Cancer to Four Recipients, Killing Two
The family of a 15-year-old New York boy thought they were helping him to live on by donating his organs.
Instead, the organs spread a rare, undiagnosed cancer to the four transplant recipients, according to a report from WCBSTV.com.
Alex Koehne of Sag Harbor, Long Island, died a year ago of lymphoma, but his parents were told he died from bacterial meningitis. Since then, two of the organ recipients have died and two others are battling the same disease, according to the report.
Jim and Lisa Koehne asked for an autopsy following their son's death, according to the report. A month later they found out Alex actually had died of a rare lymphoma; the organs, however, already had been donated.
The doctor "said, 'Jim I don't want to upset you, but we've heard something from the recipients that two of them had died from cancer,'" Jim Koehne told WCBSTV.com.
Complete story... (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,344232,00.html)
Teen's Donated Organs Spread Cancer to Four Recipients, Killing Two
The family of a 15-year-old New York boy thought they were helping him to live on by donating his organs.
Instead, the organs spread a rare, undiagnosed cancer to the four transplant recipients, according to a report from WCBSTV.com.
Alex Koehne of Sag Harbor, Long Island, died a year ago of lymphoma, but his parents were told he died from bacterial meningitis. Since then, two of the organ recipients have died and two others are battling the same disease, according to the report.
Jim and Lisa Koehne asked for an autopsy following their son's death, according to the report. A month later they found out Alex actually had died of a rare lymphoma; the organs, however, already had been donated.
The doctor "said, 'Jim I don't want to upset you, but we've heard something from the recipients that two of them had died from cancer,'" Jim Koehne told WCBSTV.com.
Complete story... (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,344232,00.html)