Note: This is the last article in a series of four Wanted Dead or Alive articles on the issue of Organ Donation. Part 1 - An Overview; Part 2 - Essential Medical Terminology, Part 3 - Dead Enough to Donate. It's heart wrenching enough dealing with a loved one nearing the end of their life. The pain can be much worse when the issue of organ donation is involved. Such situations raise a host of questions that need to be addressed. When is it ethically appropriate to authorize organ removal? Is...

Dealing with end of life situations and the issue of organ donation are emotionally and spiritually challenging. How are these cases to be evaluated?  What’s best for the individual? Should there ever be a time to consider harvesting a person’s organs? Imagine sitting by a loved one’s bedside, faced with the tremendous weight and responsibility of trying to answer those questions!

For centuries there was little debate about when a person had actually passed away. Not so today. Advances in modern medicine are truly marvelous—saving the lives of people who would have faced certain death just a few decades ago. At the same time, however, those advances have created confusion about when a life actually ends and how to treat the dying. This is especially true when it comes to declaring someone “brain dead” or in a “persistent vegetative state.” Should such persons be kept on...