The ultimate gift

Organ donations gain religious acceptance, but families, donor system face challenges

LOU HIRSH
Managing Editor

Modern medicine has made organ transplants a viable way of saving lives - and in the process, observers say, it has helped remove religious reservations about donating vital organs.

For many years, says Rabbi David Rebibo of Orthodox Beth Joseph Congregation in Phoenix, organ donation was frowned upon by Judaism. Removing a person's body organs ran counter to Jewish teachings opposing mutilation of the body; and when transplant procedures were still experimental, there was no realistic chance of saving another person's life. There also were news reports of abuses in the transplant system - for example, of body parts being harvested and sold without patients' or their families' consent.

But today's technology and oversight, Rebibo notes, make organ donation a worthy way to uphold Jewish teachings on the sanctity of the human body and the need to preserve life.

"Saving lives is the overriding factor. To the extent that the organ donation is going to save a life, it is to be encouraged," says Rebibo.

Rebibo added, however, that it is still crucial for Jewish families to consult with their rabbis, as well as medical personnel, before making the final decision on donating the organs of a dying patient.

"A rabbi should be consulted at some point. The important thing for the family is not to give a blank check," he says. "Make sure you have looked at all the important issues here."

Resistance to practice gradually lifting in Israel

In a position paper issued in March of this year, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism encouraged Jews to become enrolled as organ and tissue donors, based on the premise that "consideration for the health and welfare of others is at the heart of Jewish ethics" and that transplantation of organs and tissues is scientifically proven as a way to save and improve lives.

Rabbi Jerome Epstein, USCJ's executive vice president, explained that "many Jews have been reluctant to register as organ donors because of the misperception that Jewish law forbids organ donation. Nevertheless, the religious mandate to preserve life takes precedence over all other religious obligations."

In fact, Michelle Gilman, supervisor of public and professional education for the Donor Network of Arizona, says organ donation and transplantation have become formally accepted globally not only by Jewish leaders, but by all major religions, with support expressed by leaders of Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism.

Problems still exist
But that doesn't leave the donation process problem-free. Gilman says many families still must deal with the difficult choice between prolonging the life of a dying patient, or moving forward with the patient's pre-stated request (via an organ donor card or approval stated on a driver's license) to have organs donated.

The Donor Network of Arizona is the federally designated organization for the procurement of organs and tissues in the state. Gilman says her agency can only assist by providing families with all the procedural and legal information available, and does not try to influence decisions. Ultimately, it is up to families to seek medical as well as spiritual guidance.

"We approach all families the same way; families need to get the information necessary to make the decision."

While generally gaining acceptance nationally, organ donation patterns are inconsistent among the states, Gilman notes. For example, while national donations rose from 5,416 in 1996 to 5,473 in 1997, in Arizona they dropped from 87 in 1996 to 66 in 1997.

And donation numbers still lag far behind demand. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, as of February of this year, more than 5,000 patients were on national waiting lists to receive cornea transplants, more than 9,000 for livers, and more than 38,000 for new kidneys.

For more information on becoming a donor, Valley residents can call the Donor Network of Arizona at 222-2200 or (800) 943-6667. For information on national waiting lists and other issues relating to organ donation, check the Web site of United Network for Organ Sharing at http://www.unos.org.

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