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Donated Organs Lining Someone's Pocket

Sunday, 16 April 2000


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This disgusts me.

Donated human remains are processed into medical products that generate hundreds of millions of dollars for U.S. companies despite laws barring profit from body parts, The Orange County Register reported Sunday.

Although grieving families are told that the donations are a gift of life, the newspaper found that material harvested from the dead fuels an industry that is expected to have $1 billion in revenues by 2003.
...
Survivors urged to donate usually are told about vital organs, such as hearts or kidneys, but most of the products derived from the dead are far from lifesaving: Cadaver skin may be used to puff up the lips of models, enlarge penises or smooth out wrinkles, the newspaper said.

I'm thinking about tearing up my organ donor card.


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