Organ Donor Dies From Organ Removal

(Grand Junction, Colorado) The Montrose County Coroner, Mark Young, ruled that the death of William Rardin, 36, was a homicide caused by the removal of his heart, liver, pancreas, and kidneys by an organ recovery team. Apparently the Montrose Memorial Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital did not follow "accepted medical standards" for determining death prior to removing Rardin's organs for transplantation. The incident prompted Coroner Young to remark:

"This has me so concerned I'm taking the donor thing off my driver's license. I don't mind donating if I'm dead, but hopefully the results of this incident will mean new standards will be established."

People are surely aware that organ transplant procedures have extremely restrictive time limits and organ recovery teams constantly have to battle the clock. That type of pressure may well have contributed to this death by organ removal.

Sheesh! This story is going to give me nightmares where I lapse into a coma and a team of surgeons arrives to hurriedly take my body apart, piece by piece, while I'm still alive.