General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Message auto-removed [View all]Ms. Toad
(34,137 posts)Hearts are scarce resources. There are not enough for all who need them. Every solid organ has criteria to be on the list. Once you get on the list it is need-based - unless you violat the list rules, or no longer meet the criteria.
One of the criteria for all solid organs is the ability to follow medical advice (abstaining from alcohol for liver transplants, abstaning from using marijuana - even if you are in a state where it is legal, etc.). Ablity to comply with medical orders is critical because of the strict drug regimen you have to follow to avoid rejecting the organ.
Yes, health care is a human right. But people die on the transplant lists all the time because not enough people donate ther organs. If you can't follow simple, life-saving, medical advice when you are at your most desperate - the chances you will be able to follow it post-transplant are slim to none. The heart - which has many people competing for it - must go to someone who has demonstrated the minimum medical compliance necessary to avoid wasting it.