By Caroline Song
The Moscow Times recently published an article highlighting the problems that are currently plaguing Russia’s organ procurement process.
After getting into a car accident, Alina Sablina fell into a coma and subsequently passed away. While filing charges against the other driver, Sablina’s parents came across a forensic report that listed the removal of seven of their daughter’s organs. However, neither Sablina nor her parents had consented to the procedures, or …

By J. Adebukola Awosogba
From 19th century farmland to the to site of the nation’s first full face transplant, the Longwood Area embodies 180 years of Bostonian history.
Named after the home of Nepolean Bonaparte, Longwood circa 1877 was a place where New England aristocrats enjoyed the occasional tennis or cricket match. However, the twentieth century ushered in a new era of art and education.  By 1920, Longwood was home to the Isabelle …

By Amy Xia
Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old woman from California with terminal brain cancer, ended her life with physician prescribed medications last Saturday. She became the face of the Death with Dignity movement, with a viral video about her decision to die on her own terms. She worked closely with Compassion & Choices, an advocacy group that aims to promote patient choice at the end-of-life. Currently, only five states in the …

By Caroline Song
Recently, a group of prominent members of the German parliament introduced for debate a set of requirements that would legalize doctor-assisted suicide in their country. These legislators believe that the laws currently in place prolong human suffering, and as such are an affront to human dignity. Instead, they argue, patients should be able to decide for themselves how much pain they can tolerate.
The list of conditions included seven …

By Andrew Rock
Brittany Maynard, the 29-year-old woman whose recent battle with terminal brain cancer made her the new face of the right-to-die movement, ended her own life on Sunday night. She declared via Facebook, “Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love.”
Maynard continued, “Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that …

By Amy Xia
With extremely short wait times for organ transplants, China has become a popular destination for “transplant tourism.” Compared to the average wait of 4-5 years in the United States, the wait in China is much shorter.
In one case, a patient waited only a month for both a kidney and liver transplants, although the family of the patient was given little information about the organs and who they were …

By Kaitlyn Schaeffer
Earlier this month, 80 experts from the Transplantation Committee of the Council of Europe (CD-P-TO) gathered in Rome to confer with Pope Francis over the ongoing organ trafficking crisis. Pope Francis has been outspoken against the illegal organ trade and has called upon people to be more generous with donating their organs. Pope Francis supports organ donation in cases of brain death, stressing that such donations should be …

By Zoe Siegel
A recent study conducted by Erasums MC in Rotterdam revealed that organ trafficking has made its way to the Netherlands.
Researchers surveyed 241 care providers who treat kidney patients. Nearly half of the respondents have treated at least one patient who has undergone a kidney transplant abroad, and many suspect that these kidneys were purchased illegally; 31 care providers testified that they knew this for a fact. Their confidence …

By Caroline Song
Korea JoongAng Daily, a Korean English-language newspaper, recently published an article on the innovative efforts of Yonsei Medical School. “3-D Printing in the Operating Room” tells the story of Kim, a teenage high school student who was in a car accident three years ago that left him with serious skull injuries that required surgery. Doctors removed pieces of his cranium and attempted an artificial augmentation. However, his body …

By Amy Xia
The end on an individual’s life is a highly emotional time; some contend that people deserve the choice of a dignified, pain-free passing. Unfortunately, end-of-life care is deeply entrenched in legal issues in Australia, which has made it more difficult for Aussies to take control of the circumstances of their passing. Attempts to change these policies have been largely unsuccessful. Aside from a short period of time in …