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(Image source: KYW)
BY COLLIN RUANE
As doctors say their daughter has just weeks to live, Pennsylvania parents give a desperate
plea for change to happen so their daughter's life can be saved.
Ten-year-old Sarah Murnaghan suffers from Cystic Fibrosis which has made her lungs so
weak she needs to use a ventilator to breathe. (Via WCAU)
She's needed a lung transplant for a while, but the problem ... is her age. Sarah is only
approved to receive pediatric lungs, but those are incredibly rare.
REPORTER: "Organ donation rules require adult lungs to be offered first to people over the
age of 12. Sarah's parents say it's not fair." (Via KYW)
That means every other possible donation recipient, 12-years-old and older, would have to deny
a transplant in order for an available set of lungs to be offered to Sarah. So how difficult
is it for her to get a pediatric lung transplant?
Very difficult. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, there were only ten pediatric
lung transplants in 2012 — compared to 1,700 adult transplants.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has asked for a review of
the law after receiving a lengthy letter from the Murnaghan family — but the family has
told multiple outlets they're worried any possible change wouldn't be made in time for
Sarah. (Via WPXI)
Sebelius said: "I can't imagine anything worse than one individual getting to pick who lives
and who dies. Unfortunately, there are about 40 seriously ill Pennsylvanians over the age
of 12 also waiting for a lung transplant..." (Via Politico)
The Washington Times adds Sebelius has now been prodded by Republican lawmakers asking
why she isn't doing more to help. Sebelius says there is little she can do. In fact,
there are three other children who are in the same boat as Sarah at her hospital, but
there are just too few pediatric lung donations to go around.
Now, Sarah's mom is desperately pleading for something to be done, saying the issue isn't
only about her daughter.
JANET MURNAGHAN: "This is about all children. Children are dying at almost three times the
rate of adults waiting on that transplant list." (Via WPVI)
While lawmakers are reviewing the policy, family and friends have set up a petition
on Change.org to call more attention to the rule. It already has more than 330,000 signatures
out of the half-million the family is asking for.
ABC reports if the policy was changed, it would mean good news for the Murnaghan family
as their daughter clings to life.
"Sarah would be at the top of the adult lung transplant list if she were 12, because she
only has weeks to live and a lung transplant would as-good-as cure her of [Cystic Fibrosis]."