In a surprising turn of events, a 65-year-old woman from Phitsanulok, Thailand, was found alive in a coffin just as she was about to be cremated. The incident took place at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham, a Buddhist temple in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok. The woman's brother had brought her to the temple after a long journey from their hometown. He believed she had passed away a...
In South Korea, there's a big need for more organ donors. People are looking for new ways to encourage donations. One idea is to share letters of thanks from those who received organs. These letters could show the impact of donation on people's lives. Researchers looked at 98 letters from organ recipients on the Korean Organ Donation Agency's website. They found tha...
The Alevi-Bektashi community, spread across Türkiye and beyond, holds a distinctive view on organ donation. For them, donating organs after death is seen as a way to achieve eternal salvation. This belief is deeply rooted in their social norms, known as erkân. A recent study explored this topic by talking to 21 religious leaders, called dedes. These leaders are resp...
In the world of sports, rivals often become friends, but Erik Van Rompaye and Elmar Sprink took it a step further. They met at the World Transplant Games in Perth, Australia, in 2023. Both had received life-saving organ transplants and were already accomplished athletes before their surgeries. Van Rompaye, a 54-year-old Belgian, had a liver transplant in 2021, while ...
India's stance on brain death, also known as death by neurologic criteria, is complex. This concept is widely accepted in many parts of the world. However, in India, things are a bit different. The Transplantation of Human Organs Act of 1994 recognizes brain death as legal death. Yet, this recognition does not always translate into practice. There are several reasons...
TV shows have a big impact on how we see the world. One example is the popular medical drama Grey's Anatomy. It often shows doctors as selfless heroes. But does this influence how we think about organ donation? Researchers wanted to find out if watching such shows makes people more likely to sign up as organ donors. They asked adults about their TV habits and belief...
The need for organ transplants is growing, but the number of people willing to donate organs in India is not keeping up. This is a big problem because many people die while waiting for a suitable organ. A recent study tried to figure out why this is happening. It looked at the knowledge, attitudes, and willingness of people visiting the outpatient department of a lar...
The need for heart transplants is on the rise. Yet, a shocking number of usable hearts go to waste in North America. More than two-thirds of viable hearts are discarded. This is a huge problem. It's not just about the numbers. It's about the lives that could be saved. The situation calls for a fresh look at how donor hearts are accepted and used. A group of experts ...
In the realm of healthcare, a critical role is played by organ procurement coordinators. These professionals are tasked with a sensitive and crucial job: obtaining family consent for organ donation from deceased individuals. This process is far from straightforward, especially given the low rates of organ donation in many parts of the world, including Türkiye. To und...
In a surprising twist, a kidney transplant led to an unexpected problem. A dangerous germ, normally spread by ticks, hitched a ride in a donated kidney. This germ is called Ehrlichia bacteria. It caused both the donor and the recipient to fall ill. Both patients were treated successfully, but this case is a reminder of how tricky infections can be. The journ...