by Raina Jain

Posted on May 31, 2013

A 10-year old’s struggle on the transplant list has caused national outrage.

Sarah Murnaghan was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth and has been waiting for a new set of lungs for 18 months. She’s at the top of the transplant for pediatric lungs- but doctors are saying that modified adult lungs could also be a viable option.

However, children under 12 are not granted priority for adult organs. In order for Sarah to receive a set of adult lungs, regardless of the severity of her situation, each adult on the list would have to reject them.

The response to this law has been widespread; tens of thousands have signed a petition on Change.org, reading “This policy needs to change. The OPTN/UNOS Lung Review Board, a national group of transplant physicians and surgeons, can make an exceptional ruling for Sarah. And they can recommend new policies.”

Also in support of a policy change is Representative Patrick Meehan, who represents Sarah’s district. He wrote a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, requesting an immediate meeting to discuss Sarah’s situation. He wrote, “Sarah’s young life literally hangs in the balance.”

In response to the outrage, the OPTN issued a statement explaining why an exemption would not be fair for Sarah: “OPTN cannot create a policy exemption on behalf of an individual patient, since giving an advantage to one patient may unduly disadvantage others.” Dr. Stuart Sweet, board member at UNOS, echoed the OPTN statement, “We’ve built a system that tries to be as fair to everyone as possible.”

Read More: http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/29/health/pennsylvania-girl-lungs/