Spanish Doctors Took Megan's Organs

SkyNews ^ | 09/05/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

The parents of a little girl who died while on holiday in Spain are still waiting for her organs to be returned four months on.

Debbie Ali and David Jones say they'll never recover from the horror of discovering that doctors removed every one of her organs - without their permission.

Two-year-old Megan fell victim to a virus and died on the popular holiday island of Tenerife.

Her parents agreed to donate Megan's liver and kidneys but it wasn't until a post mortem was carried out in Britain that they discovered pathologists had taken every organ and replaced them with padding.

Mrs Jones, 29, from the Wirral, Merseyside, said: "I will never recover from the shock of losing my beautiful daughter.

"But what they did afterwards was horrific. The family has made frantic phone calls to Spanish authorities in the four months since Megan's death in an attempt to get her organs returned - but to no avail.

A spokesman for the British Foreign Office said: "Local laws allow for the removal, retention and disposal of organs or tissue during the post-mortem process.

"The authorities in Spain do not have to inform relatives about this and the Foreign Office has no jurisdiction to intervene in or change the law.

"We will do all we can to reduce the suffering and we endeavour to return Megan's organs to the UK as soon as possible."

Last Updated: 18:53 UK, Friday September 05, 2003

[bedolido]

[Nachum]

Hideous. Another country I won't visit.

[camle]

sorry, it wasn't HER body, it was the government's.

[Bedford Forrest]

But I thought all of Dr. Mengele's proteges were in Argentina and Brasil!!!!!

[IYAS9YAS]

Um, they do the same thing in America during the post-mortem, don't they? Especially in suspicious deaths.

[Physicist]

Considering all the medical errors and substandard practices that actually cost human lives around the world, why is this case worthy of international attention (unfortunate as it is)?

[Cicero]

If they agreed to donate their daughter's liver and kidneys, I'm not sure why they would be so concerned about the removal of other organs.

[bedolido]

I take it you've never lost a loved one

[geaux]

I've lost several family members over the years, and agree with Cicero; if they agreed to the removal of liver and kidneys, why the problem with removing the rest? Not that it's o.k. to remove anything without the permission of the family, but why be so appalled by it?

[Hildy]

If this is their law, too bad.

[Cogadh na Sith]

I left my heart in San Francisco.

[Nachum]

They perform an autopsy, yes. Remove and keep all the organs, no.

[pgkdan]

I've suffered the loss of a child and I don't see why these people would expect to have organs returned to them. What do they plan to do with them? The Dr's should never have removed any organs w/o authorization, but once they're out they're absoluttely no good to this child's parents.

[Alter Kaker]

I lose great many loved ones. I see parents of mine, older brother murdered. I see my son die in carwreck. My sister dies now of brain cancer. I am not stranger to suffering.

I would feel terrible however if I let my loss extend to other person by denying organ they need. In this case is even more silly given that parents already consent to give liver and kidney. So other child with problem kidney can live, but child with problem heart must die? This is silly hypocrisy caused by parents who emote more than think. Yes hospital should ask permission for all they do, but what is done is done and in this case may save lives. The soul is not encased in any particular organ. All is well.

[merry10]

welcome to free republic.

merry10

[bedolido]

well said. My only thought was for the parents. the doctors took what was not offered. That's wrong. It's like losing your child all over again.

[MHGinTN]

Would this 'press release' be the precursor to a big lawsuit by the parents?

[bedolido]

Yes! Welcome new friend!

[IYAS9YAS]

Forgive my ignorance, I thought that they often times removed and kept organs during autopsy under suspicious circumstances (and possibly here since the girl died from a viral infection).

Honestly, I don't know that I'd want any organs used in a donor system from this poor young girl since she died from a virus.

[TopQuark]

That's how people --- doctors in this case --- think in a socialist society: they've done it for the "bigger good," for the "benefit of all."