Family of girl awaiting heart seeks presumed consent

THE PARENTS of a teenage girl waiting for a heart transplant want a presumed consent system for donors to be introduced.

This is one of three options outlined in the Department of Health’s public consultation on a donor system which began last week.

Kiva Humphries (16), has been kept alive with a heart machine at the Mater hospital, Dublin, for 279 days. The heart muscles of the transition year student from Deansgrange in south Dublin were badly damaged last February after she contracted an infection.

Despite making an appeal in late December, no suitable donor has been found for Kiva, who has been on the donors’ list since July.

The longest anyone has survived on a heart machine or Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) in Ireland is 310 days.

The Department of Health has begun a consultation on the system of organ donation consent in preparation for a bill to regulate removal and use of human tissue. It is considering the opt-in, opt-out or mandated systems of donation.

Kiva’s father Joe said presumed consent or opt-out is the option he would like to see introduced.

This system means “a person is presumed to have consented to donate his or her organs after death unless he or she has specified otherwise”, according to the Department of Health.

Mr Humphries said he would like a system where next-of-kin can opt out after death.

In many European countries this system is used, with variations. In Spain relatives of the deceased are asked to agree, while in Austria there is presumed consent even if relatives object.

In November the UK rejected the opt-out system in favour of a publicity awareness campaign to boost the number of donations.

Mr Humphries said awareness is key to increasing donations.

The other options outlined in the Department of Health consultation are explicit consent, where someone can decide in advance or next-of-kin can decide to donate organs, and mandate choice, where people are required by law to say whether or not they wish to donate organs. Mr Humphries described these options as “woolly”.

Mr Humphries said Kiva needs a heart from someone of a similar age or a similar build, which is difficult to secure for a 16-year-old girl.

The public consultation process is open until the end of February and details are on the Department of Health website, www.dohc.ie