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List of Endorsers
Here are the responses we've gotten from people who've taken the time to indicate they
endorse our free market approach. (If, for any reason, you'd like your name to be
withdrawn from this list, please e-mail the webmaster, below.)
Health Care Professionals:
Brian Bain, M.D. - Napa, California
Shelly Burgess - Bellevue, Nebraska: "I'm going to nursing school
and I currently work on the kidney transplant floor at a hospital in Omaha. I have been
with them a little under three years. My heart goes out to all those waiting for a
transplant. There are not enough people out there who donate. We need to do
something."
Shanna Conover - St. Louis, Missouri: "I am very much in support of
your efforts. However, I believe there are more beneficial rewards than the almighty
dollar. Do not sell Americans short on levels of intense compassion for humanity."
[For the record, Shanna, I think Americans are among the most compassionate people who
have ever lived.]
Yuri Kass - San Francisco, California: "Being a health care
professional and seeing the suffering on such a personal level, I have come to resent the
sterile "ethics" of those who have the audacity to say they would never condone
the purchase of an organ...even to save the life of their loved one. People
enthusiastically rally around to help pay the exorbitant bills demanded by physicians who
can only numb the pain until an organ comes along. The Dr's are the ones getting rich off
of these people's deaths, and yet people who choose to sell their organs to help save a
life are considered unethical. I can only hope that this will change soon. Until then, I
will continue to help in any way I can.
Vitaly Milekhin (transplant surgeon) - Essen, Germany
Dr. Moor - Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dawn Real - Princeton, Illinois
Deb Zoellers - Dubuque, Iowa
Transplant Patients:
David Brisson - Goldsboro, North Carolina: "I refuse to
endanger the lives of my friends and family by taking a kidney from them. At the same time
people die every day, and because Big Brother has a problem with freedom, those kidneys
are wasted."
Mark Dervay - Binghamton, New York: "I agree. There is no reason that people cannot freely give up
their organs for a profit. I as a dialysis patient am in need of a transplant and have been waiting on a list for 3 years. I wish I could
just go online and type in "Kidneys for sale" and go to a site where I could find a match."
D. K. Gerou - Seminole, Alabama
Janelle London - San Francisco, California: "I agree! We need
to at least TRY this."
Wanda McCain - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: "I am currently awaiting a
second kidney transplant and would pay for an organ. No one should have to suffer the horror of dialysis if there are people willing to give organs for monetary compensation."
Terence McCarthy - Voorheesville, New York: "I have
started the Presumed Consent Foundation to help solve the same problem. See
www.presumedconsent.org. I would support your idea also, but I think that presumed consent
has a more reasonable chance of getting through."
Tracy Rost - Dayton, Ohio: "I recently came across your
website regarding compensation to organ donors. I am a 28 year old patient with a rare
blood type who is waiting for a liver transplant. Every day, I pray a bill will be passed
(or whatever needs to happen) so that donors can in fact - not be paid - but compensated.
Compensated for their time, their suffering and the risks involved. Not paid for the
organ. ... I know a lot of people think it's wrong and if I weren't in need of a new
liver, I probably would, too. Doctors say it's unethical, other doctors say it would
exploit donors, congressmen agree to both points and well, me, the recipient? I honestly
don't care why someone gives me part of their liver.... I just want to
see my son grow up and graduate, get married. I want to hold his first born
child. I just want to live."
Dan Thompson - Eaton, Colorado: "I have been on the
transplant list for five years. Dialysis is a slow and terrible death, not really a
treatment."
Friends or Relatives of Transplant Patients:
D. Caudill - Somerset, Kentucky
Mary Jo Cole - Columbia, South Carolina
Sheila Monica - Toledo, Ohio: "I believe some form of compensation to the donor's estate or a contribution in the name of the donor is a good idea. A national donor pool has merits also."
Larry R. Quay, II - Milesburg,
Pennsylvania: "I simply feel saddened for our loved ones, whom we want to
help, but know there are others out there we can. And possibly they may help us,
too."
Vernon Souza - Fort Lauderdale, Florida: "We went outside the
U.S. for a live donor kidney transplant for my wife Cynthia. The quality of health care we
received far exceeds what we got here in the states, and in fact it was a very stark
comparison. Quite frankly, I'm mad as hell at the mainstream medical community, the
self-serving politicians, and the left-wing do-no-gooders and their stance on compensation
for a kidney donor and a lot of other issues. I communicated with dozens of doctors around
the world and received more help and accurate information than I could get from our own
nephrologist here at home. I am now on a mission to accurately inform people that are in
need of a kidney transplant of the benefits of seeking a live kidney transplant outside
the US if one is not available here, and to join with you to get legislation
changed."
Laurel Starks - Pasadena, California: "I do not understand why,
when the hospitals, pharmaceutical industry, doctors, and many more industries all profit
from organ donation, the donors themselves, who put their life on the line, and who are
the only party involved who "own," if you will, their organs, cannot make a
single penny from it. If it is such a moral issue, then why not make it non-profit for
everyone? Then, I suppose, there would be little motivation for the health care
industry to invest their time, which is precisely why there are only a handful of living
donors willing to do it. The spectrum of living donors is typically very narrow for a
patient -- just an immediate family member or very close friend. Imagine how broad it
would become if it could benefit people in desperate need of money. People risk
their lives every day for money. How many dangerous professions can you think of
that people do because they have to put food on their table? Why is this any different?
The technology is there. Let's take advantage of it."
Academicians:
Lloyd Cohen, Ph.D., J.D. - George Mason University School of Law -
Fairfax, Virginia: "If I were in need, I'd love an organ to come from a kind,
loving, generous person who donates out of the kindness of his heart. But barring
that, I'll take it from a mean, selfish S.O.B. whom I pay for it."
David L. Kaserman, Ph.D. - Torchmark Professor of Economics,
Auburn University
Gregory E. Pence, Ph.D. - Professor of Philosophy and Medical Ethicist,
University of Alabama at Birmingham: "I came across your web site on organ
selling and find myself in sympathy with your position, as you
can see. Not too many medical ethicists seem to be with you on this one and perhaps
you need one on your web site?"
Concerned Citizens::
Shiv Kumar Agarwal - Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Cassandra Ally - Hesperia, California
Meghan Anderson - Melbourne, Florida: "I agree that the demand for organs is high and that people
should be allowed to sell their organs in order to help people in need.
You own your body and should be allowed to do what you want with it,
especially if it will save a life. Selling organs will increase the
availability of these badly needed organs and save the lives of many.":
Todd A. Anderson, Ph.D. - Beaverton, Oregon
Denise Banks - Phoenix, Arizona
Al Baumol - New York, New York
Fred Bento - Marion, Indiana
Sue Bowen - Elgin, Texas
Brenda Britt - Orlando, Florida
Buddy Broin - California
Wanda Brown - New Iberia, Louisiana
Jordan Burnett - Imperial, Missouri
Ray Burrows - Calgary, Canada: "If I could sell an organ that
I didn't need, I'd do it with no problem at all. And after I die I don't need my
organs any more, so if I could sign them away for use after death I would do that as well.
Not only would it end my suffering from having no money, it would also save a life."
Marva Byington - Phoenix, Arizona: "There is an answer to the
shortage of organs. We must act now!!!"
Tom Carraway - Topeka, Kansas: "It figures Congress has
created this mess!"
Steven G. Casey - Seymour, Wisconsin
Maria Castillo - Los Angeles, California
Ciro Correia - Rustenburg, North West Province, South Africa
Lindsey Councell - Cordova, Maryland: "This started out as a
research project for me, but as I find out more and more this really touches my heart. I
am a donor when I pass away but as for right now, I am still scared about being a living
donor."
Traci Criddle - Houston, Mississippi: "So many die, so few
help."
Meredith Davis - Waxahachie, Texas: "I certainly agree with
your principles. It's overwhelming to think of the number of lives that could be saved by
allowing compensation for organs. And it's not like you're really going to need them when
you're dead, right?"
Melissa Day - Brownwood, Texas
Ristic Dragomir - Vrsac, Serbia
Caitlin Drake - Markham, Ontario, Canada: "I'm doing a paper
on this topic and am getting a lot of flack for my beliefs, but I feel very
strongly about this subect and want to educate others about it."
Cheryl Eagles - Ajax, Ontario, Canada: "Your body, your
choice, to do with as you please."
Stew Engel - Fredericksburg, Virginia: "Great site! Why limit
sales of organs to cadavers? One kidney or part of a liver could be transplanted from live
donors. A Bangladeshi could get 20 years income for a kidney he doesn't need. All parties
benefit. Thanks for your great work."
Cyrus Epler - St. Petersburg, Florida
Jenny Fang - Irvine, California: "Your
website is not only informative but also inspiring. With your efforts,I believe more and
more people would be inspired to show their concerns for the problem of organ
shortage."
April Flores - El Paso, Texas
Terry Forrest - Denton, Texas
Dean R. Fowler - Mechanicsville,
Maryland: "I feel very strongly that people should be allowed to freely sell
organs on the intent to help people. We should be able to decide what we want to do
with our own bodies."
Richard R. Frost - Key West, Florida: "The
federal government is very good at doing two things: creating oversupply and shortages. Both
have disastrous effects on the citizenry."
Jessie Fulton - Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
Brandy Gaidry - Orlando,
Florida: "This money could help with the loved one's funeral expenses."
"This money could help with the loved one's funeral expenses."
Suzette Gast - Marble Falls, Texas: "I agree with compensating living donors. Is it
more unethical to allow somebody to die who is in dire need of an organ than to offer a
monetary incentive as a possible solution to meeting the high demand for organ transplants
in our low supply society?"
Dave Glasser - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Brian Green - Hinesville, Georgia
Sarah Grzesik - Cary, North Carolina
Jason Hallmark - Dayton, Ohio: "The laws of supply and demand
do not get repealed for organs. Let's help save lives!"
Jeremy Hansen - Haverford, Pennsylvania
J. Scott Hamilton - Gilbert, Arizona: "This is an issue I've
felt strongly about for many years."
Duane Horton - Middletown, Rhode Island
John Hutchins - Preston, Maryland: "Why are they interfering
in the free market? That law is the entire reason there is a black market in organs."
Tom Hynes - Rancho Palos Verdes, California
David Jacobson - Simi Valley, California: "I am a non-donor by
principle. This is my body, not society's, and until society agrees I will not allow it to
be helped."
Anil K. Jairaj - Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Steve Johnson - Glendale, Arizona
Amanda Kirby - Muncie, Indiana
Kim Klupar - Phoenix, Arizona: "I feel what you are doing is
an excellent thing and I wish you the best of luck."
Dawn Koontz - New Eagle, Pennsylvania
Tyler Larson - Pullman, Washington
John Leigh - Baltimore, Maryland: "I now agree organs should
be marketed."
Danik Leichter - Cape Coral, Florida: "I believe in
compensation for organ donation. It might even help with future medical complications in
case something goes wrong. I would be a donor myself."
Andy Levin - Williamsville, New York
Mike Linksvayer - San Fransicso, California
Billy Little - Burnet, Texas
Gao Lijun - Wuhan, Hubei, China
Matthew Lonergan - Chicago, Illinois: "Keep fighting the good
fight!"
Angela Lopez - Austin, Texas
Jolene Lowery - Clarksville, Tennessee
Gabriel Machado - Coral Springs, Florida
Amy Macks - Century, Florida
Dana Markham - Madisonville, Kentucky: "We should be
able to donate our organs if we wish to, living or dead. It's our body."
Ben Marvin - Fort Mill, South Carolina
Russell Mathews - De Funiak Springs, Florida
Greg McCulley - San Antonio, Texas: "A very humane concept; a
win-win for all involved, and I hope the legislation passes."
Mary McMahon - Chevy Chase, Maryland
Carl Mills - Manchester, United Kingdom: "I agree 100% with
your comments. I will do all I can in the UK to get laws changed!"
Ken Newsom - Greeley, Colorado
Christian O'Mara - Providence, Rhode Island
Kevin B. O'Reilly - Chicago, Illinois: "We don't expect the
grocer to give us food out of the goodness of his heart. Yet, we rely on him to give us
his heart for nothing. No wonder thousands die needlessly every year."
Sunny Pak - Sierra Vista, Arizona
Christopher Patridge - Independence, Missouri: "If it were legal to do so, I would sell one kidney, half my liver, and some bone marrow to raise money for my college education. (I already sell my blood.) It is only out of great fear of our government that I have not already tried to do so.
I would expect to charge a very high price (though if it were legal in the U.S. I would be looking to get significantly less), but after my death, any organs I had left would be available for $50 each. If it were still illegal and none of my heirs would wish to sell them on the black market, then it would be my wish that my organs rot, wasted in the ground.
So right there, legalizing payment for organs would definitely make available 2 kidneys, 1 heart, 2 lungs, 2 eyes, all my skin, all my bone marrow, all my blood, AND my 3 ft. ponytail of pretty brown hair. Heck, once I'm dead, they could each go to any stranger for $5 apiece paid to my estate. But no one besides family could get them for free!
There is a price for everything, and making it illegal NEVER eliminates the demand for a good or service, it rarely even dents the supply. (However, because of the complex requirements for organ transplantation, the government does an amazing job of keeping the supply astoundingly low.) But what criminalizing any good or service ALWAYS does,is drive the price WAY up, and lower the quality. Now when you buy ANYTHING on the black market, you don't just pay for the good or service, you also pay to compensate the seller for the enormous risk they took in providing you with a good or service that could wind them up in jail for a long time and cost them all of their property in hefty fines!
Also because of the enormous profit (due to the risk), and the freedom from having to compete with more honest, law-abiding businessmen, many unsavory criminal types enter into the black-market business, which lowers quality (you can't complain in public that someone ripped you off in an illegal deal). Would you rather buy your booze from the friendly guy at the liquor store, or from Al Capone, who might break your legs if you're late paying your tab, or could ruin your life just by letting it be known that you bought his goods and services? Which choice sounds more appealing to you? Look at all the needless deaths and mutilations that occured from back-alley abortions vs. today's legal means. Need I say more?"
Michelle R. Pippin - Rockford, Illinois: "Supply and Demand -
The American Way!"
Paul Ellsworth Pugh, II - Saratoga Springs, New York: "I am
not a number. I am a free man."
Don Reid - Glasgow, Scotland
John P. Reilly - Deerfield Beach, Florida
Robert M. Renk - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: "I believe in self
ownership."
Justin Richards - Avon, Indiana: "It's my body. I can sell my organs if I want to."
Richard F. Roehl - St. Louis, Missouri
Steve Salguero - Hayward, California
Kevin Sell - Seymour, Missouri: "Your body is free trade. I'm a healthy person, but see nothing
wrong with being compensated for kidney donation."
Erica Sharp - Dayton, Ohio
Claudio Djissey Shikida - Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul,
Brasil: "A
market with rules is the best way to help people in a world of scarcity of organs. People
with these market-ideas should be respected, despite the prejudices. Yes, I endorse this
attempt to explain honestly to people how a market can help us to save people."
Luo Shiming - Zhu Hai, Guang Dong, China
Deborah E. Smoak - Houston, Texas
Donnie Sneddon, Jr. - Des Moines, Iowa
William K. Snyder Sr. - Butler, Pennsylvania
Anthony Soldano - Plainwell, Michigan: "I believe a person
should have the right to sell their body parts."
Tina Spurlock - Henryetta, Oklahoma: "This proposition would save so many lives, I don't know how
anyone couldn't agree. If it were my father, mother, family member or
friend, I would do it in a heartbeat. Just put yourself in their shoes."
Michelle Storie - Norman, Oklahoma
James Sturiale - "I see nothing wrong with being
compensated for donating a kidney."
Chris Taluskie - Elizabethton, Tennessee
Ana Torres-Alvarez - London, England
Francois Tremblay - Anjou, Quebec, Canada: "I support organ
trading 100% on a philosophical, ethical, and political basis. How can anyone stand by as
5,000 people die every year? Come visit my web site (www.libertarianthought.com) for this
and other free-market oriented positions."
Elysia Tucker - Florence, Alabama
Ralph W. Washburn - Euless, Texas: "I wholeheartedly
agree!"
Bynum M. Wheeler - Columbia, Missouri: "Government has no
right to tell people what to do with their bodies."
Billy Williams - Chickamauga, Georgia: "I'm for organ selling."
Blake Williams - Greenhurst, New York
Lauretta Winters - Stevenson, Alabama: "I very much think that
people should be allowed to sell their own body parts. We are allowed to give them freely
to strangers or family members. But if we can help a stranger and give them a longer
and happier life then why can't they compensate us for the gift they received?"
Tracy Woods - Bensalem, Pennsylvania
Matt Zwolinski - Tuscon, Arizona: "Those concerned with the
well-being of living, breathing individuals need to look beyond the intention of a policy
to see its actual effects. The prohibition on organ-selling has resulted in suffering and
death. This is inxecusable."
Joe Zychik - Thousand Oaks, California: "Keep up the good
work."
Visit our Statement of Principles page to see if
you, too, would like to endorse our free market approach. |