Please pray for this young girl - British girl allowed to refuse heart transplant

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Heartbreaking as this is, this 13 year old is not making this decision on her own. Her parents support the decision. She feels she has had enough.

Refusing extraordinary medical treatment is not immoral. And I think a heart transplant qualifies as extraordinary medical treatment.
 
Absolutely, completely and totally.

A heart transplant is not a minor medical procedure. It is a major procedure that carries major risks and is not always successful. When one considers that she has already had 12 surgeries in 13 years, it is clear we are in the realm of extraordinary and burdensome means to keep her alive.

Catechism 2278 states: "Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of ā€œover-zealous treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; oneā€™s inability to impede it is merely accepted.ā€

Me and my wife had to make a similar decision for our 13 day old daughter (who obviously didnā€™t have a voice) and were told that a lifetime of painful surgeries awaited her that might not even work. We prayed about it and left the matter in Godā€™s hands, and He took her home on Easter Sunday.

I can only pray that she is at home with her family, comfortable, and receiving the Sacraments. If sheā€™s not Catholic, I think we should pray that she comes to God before her death.
 
AHapka said:
Absolutely, completely and totally.

A heart transplant is not a minor medical procedure. It is a major procedure that carries major risks and is not always successful. When one considers that she has already had 12 surgeries in 13 years, it is clear we are in the realm of extraordinary and burdensome means to keep her alive.

Catechism 2278 states: "Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of ā€œover-zealous treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; oneā€™s inability to impede it is merely accepted.ā€

Me and my wife had to make a similar decision for our 13 day old daughter (who obviously didnā€™t have a voice) and were told that a lifetime of painful surgeries awaited her that might not even work. We prayed about it and left the matter in Godā€™s hands, and He took her home on Easter Sunday.

I can only pray that she is at home with her family, comfortable, and receiving the Sacraments. If sheā€™s not Catholic, I think we should pray that she comes to God before her death.
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My sincerest condolences on the loss of your daughter. I will remember you, your wife and your daughter in my prayers tonight.

You are correct. I had to stand by and watch my father refuse being put on a respirator and refuse kidney dialysis last year just before he died. It is a difficult thing to contemplate. Allowing nature and God to take their course was very difficult, but that can be the essence of mercy in some situations. Mercy is not always easy.
 
Dear Lord, Jesus, please ease troubles of the little maiden.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
 
Many children after receiving a heart transplant live a good 15-20 years and even longer. Taking pills does not impinge on oneā€™s quality of life. It saddens me that so many are quick to believe that a heart transplant is too much for this child. It is not, and could allow her a greater quality of life. yes, sheā€™s had cancer, and has been in and out of hospital, but many children and adults (some of us grew up going in and out of hospital) have been through the same and worse, and we choose life. look what a burn survivor has been through. Thatā€™s worse than cancer. Do they give up, because they are in daily pain? No, they work harder, choosing life.

Many of us that have been through life long childhood illnesses did not give up and neither should this child or her parents. They need hope. It takes more courage to live than it does to die. We must always maintain, hope and faith, and never give up on life its far to precious, and its easy to give up, but its harder to choose life, and life is precious. There is hope that this girl could with a heart transplant live a very happy life, finish school, attend university or other educational programs, get married, adopt a child (ren), etc.

At 13 this little girl does not have the life experience to make such life rendering decisions. If only she would have this surgery, and have a real chance at living her life to the fullest extent possible. Thatā€™s what transplants give. Unfortunately, our society is too quick to choose terms such as, ā€˜dying with dignityā€™ that make it seem that death is dignified, when it is not, especially when it involves a childā€™s life at stake. I pray that this child will choose life and go for a heart transplant (A decision that she should never have been allowed to turn down at such a tender age).
 
I must add ā€¦ As a person in need of a double lung transplant, I have done much research on transplants. In this day and age a heart transplant, even a lung transplant is much more common. No longer is this extraordinary medicine. Transplants are miracles that provide life!
 
Many children after receiving a heart transplant live a good 15-20 years and even longer. Taking pills does not impinge on oneā€™s quality of life. It saddens me that so many are quick to believe that a heart transplant is too much for this child. It is not, and could allow her a greater quality of life. yes, sheā€™s had cancer, and has been in and out of hospital, but many children and adults (some of us grew up going in and out of hospital) have been through the same and worse, and we choose life. look what a burn survivor has been through. Thatā€™s worse than cancer. Do they give up, because they are in daily pain? No, they work harder, choosing life.

Many of us that have been through life long childhood illnesses did not give up and neither should this child or her parents. They need hope. It takes more courage to live than it does to die. We must always maintain, hope and faith, and never give up on life its far to precious, and its easy to give up, but its harder to choose life, and life is precious. There is hope that this girl could with a heart transplant live a very happy life, finish school, attend university or other educational programs, get married, adopt a child (ren), etc.

At 13 this little girl does not have the life experience to make such life rendering decisions. If only she would have this surgery, and have a real chance at living her life to the fullest extent possible. Thatā€™s what transplants give. Unfortunately, our society is too quick to choose terms such as, ā€˜dying with dignityā€™ that make it seem that death is dignified, when it is not, especially when it involves a childā€™s life at stake. I pray that this child will choose life and go for a heart transplant (A decision that she should never have been allowed to turn down at such a tender age).
 
lizaanne said:
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iAVcnV_Jed6S0pu_tX3S13Ah7bZgD94CRB7O2

Do you think she should be allowed to make this decision?

Please keep her, and her family in your prayers. šŸ˜¦

~Liza
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it was on the irish news as well. her mother and father has accepted the decision as well. it farā€¦its to hard on this girl all them pills and her eyes are below her eyes are pink. so lets pray for her

O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, slendour of Heaven. Blessed Mother of The Son of God. Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this, my necessity. There are none who can withstand your power.

O star of the sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother (make request).

O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee (three times). Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (three times). Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine.

This prayer must be said for three days and after that the request will be granted (will never fail).

This prayer must be published immediately./

amen
 
As Catholics and therefore Pro-life arenā€™t we to refuse heart transplants? You have to technically keep the donor alive to keep the heart ready for transplant therefore the only thing that would be killing the donor is the taking of the heart. I believe it is the same with lung donors. We can donate organs but only after we are dead. THey must keep you alive for those two.

Dear Lord I pray for this girl who has been lead in the way of self sacrifice. Hold her close Lord and comfort her on her way to you.Amen.
 
loveyourcat said:
Many children after receiving a heart transplant live a good 15-20 years and even longer. Taking pills does not impinge on oneā€™s quality of life. It saddens me that so many are quick to believe that a heart transplant is too much for this child. It is not, and could allow her a greater quality of life. yes, sheā€™s had cancer, and has been in and out of hospital, but many children and adults (some of us grew up going in and out of hospital) have been through the same and worse, and we choose life. look what a burn survivor has been through. Thatā€™s worse than cancer. Do they give up, because they are in daily pain? No, they work harder, choosing life.

Many of us that have been through life long childhood illnesses did not give up and neither should this child or her parents. They need hope. It takes more courage to live than it does to die. We must always maintain, hope and faith, and never give up on life its far to precious, and its easy to give up, but its harder to choose life, and life is precious. There is hope that this girl could with a heart transplant live a very happy life, finish school, attend university or other educational programs, get married, adopt a child (ren), etc.

At 13 this little girl does not have the life experience to make such life rendering decisions. If only she would have this surgery, and have a real chance at living her life to the fullest extent possible. Thatā€™s what transplants give. Unfortunately, our society is too quick to choose terms such as, ā€˜dying with dignityā€™ that make it seem that death is dignified, when it is not, especially when it involves a childā€™s life at stake. I pray that this child will choose life and go for a heart transplant (A decision that she should never have been allowed to turn down at such a tender age).
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This is all well and good, but does not answer the fundamental question: is it morally wrong for her (and with her parentā€™s support) to refuse the transplant?
 
Scottgun said:
This is all well and good, but does not answer the fundamental question: is it morally wrong for her (and with her parentā€™s support) to refuse the transplant?
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No, it is not morally wrong to refuse extraordinary medical treatment.
 
I have a correction on my previous post. I again state I am not sure about lung transplants. THey may be able to do those once you are dead. But definately heart transplants are out of the question for it to be morally correct.
Again my prayers go out to this young girl, that God might grant her a peaceful death. Amen.
 
onaquest said:
As Catholics and therefore Pro-life arenā€™t we to refuse heart transplants? You have to technically keep the donor alive to keep the heart ready for transplant therefore the only thing that would be killing the donor is the taking of the heart. I believe it is the same with lung donors. We can donate organs but only after we are dead. THey must keep you alive for those two.

Dear Lord I pray for this girl who has been lead in the way of self sacrifice. Hold her close Lord and comfort her on her way to you.Amen.
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Actually, this is not correct. The heart does not have to continue beating when the it, and the other organs, are ā€œharvestedā€ from the deceased donor. There is, however, a very limited time to remove the heart after it stops beating and get it cooled. Once it is removed and cooling doctors have only a few hours to implant it in the recipient.

A beating heart is NEVER permitted to be removed from a donor. In California, a doctor is being prosecuted for administering drugs to stop a patients heart before harvesting the organs.
 
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