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Ohio Couple Claims Hospital Harvested Son's Organs
Dan Nephin / AP
March 05, 2009
PITTSBURGH — The parents of an 18-year-old Ohio man who suffered a brain injury while snowboarding claim in a lawsuit that doctors at a northwestern Pennsylvania hospital intentionally killed him so they could harvest his organs.
The lawsuit claims that Hamot Medical Center doctors and a representative of the Center For Organ Recovery and Education caused Gregory Jacobs’ death by administering medication and by removing his breathing tube, causing him to suffocate.
“But for the intentional trauma or asphyxiation of Gregory Jacobs, he would have lived, or, at the very least, his life would have been prolonged,” the lawsuit said.
The suit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh by Jacobs’ parents, Michael and Teresa Jacobs, of Bellevue, Ohio. It seeks more than $5 million for their son’s pain and suffering, medical bills and funeral expenses, plus punitive damages.
Lucia Conti, a Hamot spokeswoman, said the hospital had not seen the lawsuit, but its policy is to not comment on litigation. The Center for Organ Recovery and Education, a Pittsburgh-based organization that helps hospitals procure donated tissue, also declined to comment.
Jacobs fell on March 8, 2007, while snowboarding at Peek ’n Peak Ski Resort in Findley Lake, N.Y., and was flown to the Erie hospital, the lawsuit said.
The suit claims Hamot contacted the Center for Organ Recovery and Education about the donation of Jacobs’ organs even though his parents, who were at the hospital, wanted him to live. CORE directed that Jacobs’ organs be removed in the absence of a valid consent, the suit said.
“Gregory was alive before defendants started surgery and suffocated him in order to harvest his organs” including his heart, liver and kidneys, according to the suit.
The suit said Jacobs “experienced neither a cessation of cardiac activity nor a cessation of brain activities when surgeons began the procedures for removing his vital organs.”
The suit said the Center for Organ Recovery and Education benefited by obtaining Jacobs’ organs “for transfer and sale to other individuals, who then paid money, a portion of which went to CORE, for the wrongful procurement of the organs.”
© YellowBrix 2009
Nurse_John
8 months ago
11580 comments
The hospital may not have needed the parents consent. The patient was 18, and of legal age. Maybe he carried a valid organ donor card. A lot is not stated in the article.
JoRN
8 months ago
24 comments
Please tell me the RNs reading this DON'T believe this article outright....right?????????? I'm reading your comments; you guys need to do some research first....
JoRN
8 months ago
24 comments
Not to say it is impossible, but improbable. I'd have to read up on the laws of this particular state; but docs can't just off-handedly decide these things--there are protocols and procedures to follow. Many things, before one decides......
emilee1978
8 months ago
2 comments
According to the article I read in another newspaper, consent was signed by the father. He also stated this on national TV, he was on "Good Morning America" or something. This story is fishy, only the father signed consent, he states the mother didn't even know about it. Are any of you people nurses? I work in a NICU, we facilitate organ procurement all the time, and this case is frivolous. And any nurse who deals with these types of patients knows that you have to keep these patient alive until you harvest the organ, that's common sense. Of course his life would have been prolonged, living on a vent with a feeding tube rotting in an ICU bed. These people are just grieving and feel guilty and are looking for anyone to blame but themselves.
mikoandbenji
8 months ago
180 comments
I am 1000% for organ donation, but this sounded like murder.
futurenurse1108
8 months ago
12 comments
there is definately missing pieces to this story...
NurseWendy1
8 months ago
2 comments
I also think things are missing from this article. As a nurse I can tell you if they were planning to harvest this man's organs they would of been doing everything in their power to keep him alive not "smother" him. He would have been ventilated until all his vital organs were removed. Second before even suggesting the harvesting of organs, there are many tests performed regarding brain function. Although it is a sad situation and he was young, what would his quality of life been without brain function? I'm sure some kind of consent was obtained, if not shame on that hospital and they will be sued because of an oversite. I feel horrible for the parents in this situation, but I have seen it time and time again where families waver on their decisions.
flonightengale
8 months ago
2 comments
In many parts of the country, the parents will be heir to the estate of a childless adult that dies intestate. Sometimes the state government will be a partial recipient of the proceeds. I tend to be anti-lawsuit, but assuming the story includes the pertinent facts in this case, there needs to be a lawsuit. As a civilized society, we can't go around harvesting organs without consent, no matter how "beneficial" it is to another person. To do otherwise would foster an environment where horrible ethical attrocities could, and would take place. The best way to motivate a company to change bad practice is to hit in them in the pocket book....regardless of where the money goes. And how the young man died is irrelevant to the issue of consent, whether others were benefited, or whether a responsible party may remain in business to "help others" .
MissAmazings
8 months ago
8 comments
I think a huge part of this story is missing- as usual. If he was 18 and an organ donor and he was dead, then his parents shouldn't be entitled to anything. People (especially young adults) do stupid things like extreme sports and then when something goes wrong its a tragedy. No its just stupidity. Snowboarding is dangerous and you have to accept the consequences if and when they occur. There are a lot of people that cant deal with the grieving process and have to blame someone for what happened. And get paid. A lot. Why? Is money is going to bring him back or make it okay that hes dead? No. Its a sad but ish happens. And if they "shut down" CORE because of one dead kid they, in the end, will be killing thousands that would have benefited. On a positive note, he did save 3 lives...
carolfh
8 months ago
2 comments
Sounds like we are missing part of the story. From what I read, it just talks about what the lawsuit is about. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's true. It is sad that this happened. It's hard not to think about it. Also, he was 18 so what is the law concerning him being a legal adult in that state?
sap
8 months ago
2404 comments
God forbid. This was horrible. Whatever happened to "consent". 5 million isn't enough! Such a shame and I'm sad and angry for the family.
moonlights_rain
8 months ago
18 comments
This is INSANE! I can understand the need for immediate procurement of the organs to prevent damage but they did so without consent??? Was a he a licensed organ donor? I know if FL if you are I've heard of this happening... but his parents were there... wow... I mean yes he probably saved 3 lives... how extensive were his injuries? It sounds like they were to anxious and cut too soon. This... is horrible.
momshealthbiz
8 months ago
8 comments
Oh My Gosh, I can not believe that.. $5 Million is not enough for killing there son. I know it wouldn't be for doing that to my children. I would shut down CORE and those doctors that did that surgery without consent would never practic again as long as I live. CORE as well because they knew what was going on. Even thought it helped save someone else live, it took another.
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etease69
8 months ago
2 comments
$5 milliion is NOT ENOUGH...
kingsspot1
8 months ago
6 comments
It sounds as if a BIG portion of the true story is missing. I fully understand why but the full story isn't written here.