Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 02/16/2026 11:14:29 AM PST by Morgana
A woman in Australia has become the first person in the world to have their organs harvested after ending their life by assisted suicide.
Karen Duncan, from Victoria, Australia, ended her life by assisted suicide after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in August 2024. It is reported that Ms Duncan began having conversations about ending her life by assisted suicide with her family and doctors shortly after her diagnosis.
In Victoria, an individual can end their life by assisted suicide or euthanasia if they have been given a prognosis of 12 months. This follows a significant expansion of the law in Victoria in October last year, in which the prognosis required for eligibility in most cases of assisted suicide or euthanasia was doubled, from six months to 12 months.
Ms Duncan’s case was the first known instance of someone donating organs after ending their life by assisted suicide, though organs have previously been harvested from those who have ended their lives by euthanasia. Euthanasia is the intentional ending of another person’s life for their supposed benefit, while assisted suicide is the act of assisting another person in ending their own life.
It is reported that, with assisted suicide, the process of dying is slower due to the cause of death being the oral ingestion of a fatal drug, rather than the intravenous injection used for euthanasia. This increased length of time had sparked fears that organ function would deteriorate too much before the transplant could happen. Ms Duncan died 39 minutes after ingesting the fatal drug, yet her lungs, kidneys, heart valve, and eye tissue were able to be donated.
Controversial organ harvesting following assisted suicide and euthanasia “may pressure vulnerable patients” into ending their lives
Harvesting organs from individuals who have ended their lives by assisted suicide or euthanasia is a controversial practice. Dominique Martin, a professor in health, ethics and professionalism at Deakin University, said that such organ harvesting is “ethically complex”.
Organ donation from individuals whose lives have been ended by assisted suicide or euthanasia “depend[s] a huge amount on public trust in healthcare systems and healthcare professions to ensure that people are not being exploited or coerced during the end-of-life period”, Professor Martin said.
Some have argued that vulnerable people may be coerced or incentivised to end their lives through assisted suicide or euthanasia if they believe that other people might be waiting for their organs.
According to a 2023 review by Canadian medical authors of the legal and ethical concerns of organ harvesting following euthanasia, organ donation organisations in some Canadian provinces like Ontario and British Columbia, where assisted suicide and euthanasia are legal, “recommend that all patients who request [euthanasia or assisted suicide] are approached and informed about the possibility of organ donation”.
The authors of the review “expressed concerns that the conversation about the possibility of organ donation may pressure vulnerable patients to proceed with [euthanasia or assisted suicide]”, stating that this can “cause a breach of trust with the health care professionals”.
They stated that “informing them of this possibility may cause undue societal pressure for donation, and the desire to become a donor may be a driver for the [euthanasia or assisted suicide] request”.
Organ harvesting following death by assisted suicide sets dangerous precedent for England and Wales
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales for those with a prognosis of six months or less, is currently undergoing scrutiny at Committee Stage in the House of Lords.
Organ donation is not currently mentioned in the text of the assisted suicide Bill. If the Bill in its current form were passed and became law, there would be nothing to prevent harvesting organs from those who may end their lives by assisted suicide from taking place, including individuals feeling pressured or swayed into ending their lives due to a perceived obligation to pass on their organs.
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff has tabled an amendment to the Bill, which would ensure that the proposed assisted suicide panels would be required to determine that the law relating to organ donation for those who choose to end their lives by assisted suicide is upheld with the same rigour as in ordinary cases.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “It is troubling that if assisted suicide were legalised in England and Wales, cases where organs are harvested following an individual’s death by assisted suicide, like Ms Duncan’s, could take place”.
“Allowing those who are considering ending their lives to donate their organs may encourage or pressure vulnerable people into ending their lives, so that donating organs could be seen to be a significant driver for the request for assisted suicide”.
“This case highlights yet another area where there will likely be serious risks that arise if we legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales. Peers in the House of Lords must do their duty and reject this awful Bill”.
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
No long until it is forced euthanasia/organ harvesting . With increasingly minor crimes getting the death penalty. Got to keep the organ banks full.
Larry Niven wrote about this.
Where are ‘increasingly minor crimes’ receiving the death penalty?
I’m willing to bet this has happened before, in fact, it’s probably the most common outcome. It’s just not announced to the general public.
“It is reported that, with assisted suicide, the process of dying is slower due to the cause of death being the oral ingestion of a fatal drug, rather than the intravenous injection used for euthanasia.”
Excellent news for those concerned about drugs used for the death penalty. It’s good for the death penalty if it’s good for voluntary euthanasia.
Yet another way for socialized medicine to steal from us
“World first” my ass Lol
China and the CCP has entered the chat.
Western Covid era hospitals have also entered the chat.
After watching my Dad suffer with Salivary Gland Cancer, where he had major surgery on his face as well as SIX WEEKS of DAILY radiation - and was still only given 2 years to live from diagnosis, I’m not sure I could be as brave and NOT want to off myself!
The only saving grace was that he was well medicated at all times and also had Dementia so he didn’t really ‘know’ what was going on. :(
It’s a tough call, but always save a bullet for yourself.
No mention of the drug used.
I think most here would settle for some major crimes receiving the death penalty. Even those that do get it get it 20 or 30 years down the pike.
Wait and see. It’s just getting started.
1970s. Enjoyable stories at the time, but I never took it for prognostication.
China is really way ahead of the West.
May Chairman Xi live forever.../
Not Nitrogen...?
“On the day Karen Duncan died, she arranged to take a limousine to hospital with her two adult daughters, her friends and her poodles to say goodbye.
Ms Duncan, 55, who had an aggressive form of motor neurone disease (MND), was determined to donate her organs after ending her life via voluntary assisted dying (VAD).”
China does this everyday.
Don’t some suicide machines use nitrogen?
That’s not an answer. You made a clear assertion.
Article writer now versed on how to use pronouns.
In theory, wouldn’t one get better results if the organs were havested first. And perhaps best results if no drugs or chemicals were used before harvesting, such as anesthetics?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.