At the risk of violating HIPAA regulations, I have new insights regarding my Neighbor’s son. A very major hospital in Boston has declined to accept him as a candidate for their ECMO program.
It reminds me of how candidates for organ donations are treated. It is all very clinical, and there is no emotion involved in the process. The entire United States is divided into ‘Sectors’ and they have a boatload of rules about who gets what.
It has always seemed to me to be so very callous, but it as well makes sense as the decisions simply have to be made. It is not cool if it is your family member or loved one who is denied the life saving transplant or therapy, but allegedly the decision process is fair and methodical.
The truth is, I do not care about fair or methodical when it comes to my family, or loved ones. I just care about them. I am nobody. It is not as if I am Mickey Mantle and can get a new Liver by jumping over the line ahead of maybe hundreds or thousands of others who also suffer.
We live in a complex world.
I spoke with my neighbor. I told him that I knew about his son and the decision before he did. I felt strange about that. I felt as if I were almost some part of that ‘corporate type decision’ to deny him a potentially life saving therapy.
I did not like telling him, but he was OK with it. I can scarcely believe that I have ever found myself in such a position.
I do not know what comes next, just concerns, prayer, and hope for the best. We shall see how things develop.
You see, I ask the Bag Man for one simple thing, and suddenly he goes on some hiatus.
Boston is in full fear mode right now. I live in central, MA. I won’t step foot in Boston and my employer is there, I work 100% remote.
-SB