- The concept of “brain death,” introduced in 1968 to enable organ harvesting, has never been proven equivalent to actual death—it merely defines an irreversible coma.
- Documented cases exist of “brain dead” patients who were conscious, including some who mouthed “help me” as their organs were nearly harvested.
- Global organ shortages have fueled a black market, with an estimated 5–20% of transplants involving illegal procurement and added pressure to lower diagnostic standards for “brain death.”
- Recent federal investigations found serious failures in the U.S. organ donation system: 29.3% of reviewed cases showed troubling signs, and 20.8% of patients had neurologic activity incompatible with procurement—yet transplant coordinators still pushed to proceed.
- Organ recipients face lifelong challenges, including the little-known phenomenon of adopting personalities and memories from the donor.
- Safer, ethical alternatives exist—such as natural therapies like DMSO that have revived “brain dead” patients and restored organ function, removing the need for transplant.
https://open.substack.com/pub/amidwesterndoctor/p/the-hidden-crisis-in-organ-transplantation