Scenario 1: Needing an Organ
Jerome is a wealthy father of four young children who works as a pediatrician at the local clinic. He falls seriously ill, and
while in the hospital he is told that unless he receives a new kidney within the next few weeks, he will likely die. His
entire family is tested to see if they can donate a kidney, but no one is a good match. Jerome is placed on the kidney
transplant list. But time is running out, and there isn’t a good chance that he will get the kidney he needs since there are
so many people in his situation who need kidneys, too.
Jerome’s wife, Marilyn, desperate to save her husband’s life, learns that there are other ways to get a matching kidney.
She can offer a small amount of money to people in certain poor countries who are willing to take a test to see if they
are a match for Jerome. Once Marilyn finds a match, she can pay that person to donate a kidney. A person can live
normally with just one kidney. Jerome’s family can offer enough money to give a donor a comfortable life in his home
country. The surgery to remove a healthy kidney for donation is painful and sometimes recovery is difficult. what is the ethical thing to do?