1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you should know from house stuff Works 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh 3 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: Clark with me as always as Charles W. Chuck Bryant, 4 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 1: who I assume has two functional kidneys. I do, but 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: I would give one up for your brother. Wow, would 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: you really? Well? Maybe I think I think that through 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: Chuck as a living donor. Maybe not. But if I died, 8 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: then sure you get thanks. Man. What about your liver, 9 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: because I'm pretty certain I'm gonna need somebody's livers. I 10 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: don't know that you would want mine either, to be honest. 11 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, that'd be like getting Mickey Mantle's liver. 12 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: I need like a we need a virginal liver, don't I? Yeah, 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: so I can just start over again, wash it in vodka. 14 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: So what are we talking about, Josh? We're talking about 15 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: organ donation, Chuck perfect, which I find absolutely fascinating. UM. 16 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: Back in nineteen let me take you back a little 17 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: bit here, the first successful living human to human organ 18 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: donation took place. It was a kidney. Yeah, it was 19 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: a great story. Kidneys actually remained the most commonly donated 20 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: and UM received organs. But this was actually a couple 21 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: of twin brothers, one of whom was dying of chronic nephritis. Yeah, 22 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 1: Richard and Ronald Herrick. And Richard was the one dying, 23 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: and Ronald was in good shape right, and Ronald said, well, 24 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: you know what, you're my twin brother, and I don't 25 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: really want you to die young, so I'm going to 26 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: give you one of my kidneys. And um. There have 27 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: been uh some other transplants before that. They didn't work 28 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: out though, well some of them did, but it wasn't 29 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: live human to human um like. For example, the first 30 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: I think, the first organ, the first donation or transplant 31 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: that ever took place, was way back in sixteen where 32 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: they few was part of a dog's skull under a 33 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: human's head, crazy and that graft worked. H. We have 34 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: taken testicles from monkeys and successfully in playing them into humans. 35 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: A pig kidney was successfully transplanted into a human vein transplants, uh, 36 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 1: and a lamb kidney was put into a recipient in 37 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: ninety three and that person lived for nine days. But 38 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty four finds the first time a living person 39 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: donated an oregon to another living person and it was successful. 40 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: And the reason why they think was because they're twins, 41 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: there was a very low chance of rejection, right. Yeah. 42 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: And the story is great because Richard, you know that 43 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: the dying brother had a moment, a clear moment where 44 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 1: he literally, like the day before, said don't do this. Man, 45 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: get out of here right now. And the brother said, no, 46 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you my kidney like it or not, chump, 47 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,839 Speaker 1: and he did and it was a great story. Yeah. 48 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: And they actually both lived to ripe old ages reproduced, 49 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: so they fulfilled their deskin these humans. And since then, Josh, 50 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: there have been more than a half a million of 51 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: these organ transplants performed. Right, We've gotten a lot better 52 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: at it. Yeah. Um, as I was rambling off that 53 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: list of stuff that took place before nineteen fifty four, 54 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: we have gotten exponentially better. Uh. In two thousand three, 55 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: we successfully transplanted a tongue. YEA, I saw that which 56 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: I could use A tongue transplanted slightly thinner tongue would 57 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 1: would do me a lot better. I think you had 58 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: a fat tongue. Yeah. And do you remember the um, 59 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: what do we do the face transplant? Um? That woman 60 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: actually remember she got her face from a suicide victim 61 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: that was in two thousand five and in two thousand six, 62 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: so I know it's coming. A cadaver's penis was transplanted 63 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: onto a living human. Yeah, and that man gave it back, Yes, 64 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: and I love The reason they gave was because of 65 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: it caused psychological problems between the man and his wife, 66 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: which I can let your imagination run with that one. Yeah, Yeah, 67 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: that's just UH would say the same thing would happen 68 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: in my household. So thanks to a better understanding of 69 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: how the human body works, of blood type, of the 70 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: development of anti rejection drugs, like Chuck said, we've hit 71 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: about half a million transplant surgery so far. Right, so 72 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: Chuck actually is hot and heavy. Uh to to give 73 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: out a stat and this is a very special stat 74 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: because it's actually most likely going to change by the 75 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: end of the podcast. Yes, these are taking away. These 76 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: are current stats. If you go to the website U 77 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: n O s dot org, the United Network for Organ Sharing, 78 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: they actually have up to the minute statistics on who 79 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: needs what and who's giving what and what operations are 80 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: being performed. And I didn't realize this, but it's up 81 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:47,559 Speaker 1: to the minute because earlier in the day I checked 82 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: on kidneys, and the number actually dropped by three about 83 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: an hour later on the waiting list, So three people 84 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: got kidneys in that like half hour span. So I'm 85 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: just gonna read a couple now and then we'll check 86 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: back in for fun in twenty minutes and see if 87 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: that's changed at all. Okay, I'm gonna write this down 88 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: to check because we'll never remember it. This is the 89 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,359 Speaker 1: first time we've ever used a laptop in the studio 90 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: and a pen usually just us in our mouths. Uh. Total, Josh, 91 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: we got one oh five hundred and five thousand, two 92 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: d eight people are waiting for organs, and we'll do 93 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: kidney because that's the most popular. Eight three thousand and 94 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: twelve people are waiting for a kidney as of two 95 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: oh three pm. All right, and we'll check that in 96 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 1: twenty minutes and hopefully those numbers have gone down. Yeah, 97 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: because that will mean that either the people on the 98 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: waiting list have died or they received a transplant. I 99 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: guess we could put those two, we could compare against 100 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: one another, and maker we could surmise for So, Chuck, 101 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: what are organs? Yeah? I had a feeling you're going 102 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 1: to ask me that, Josh, gohad no, okay. Organs are 103 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: systems of cells, josh and tissues, and they all are 104 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: in our body for a very specific reason, each one. 105 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: And what I like about the organs is that they 106 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: are all over equipped, which is what you're looking for 107 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: in an organ. You don't want, like the heart to 108 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: be like boy, if it beats one beat less, you're 109 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: really screwed. So um, our heart. Actually, a twenty year 110 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: old's heart beats pumps about ten times more than the 111 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,039 Speaker 1: amount of blood we need, and uh, we we have 112 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: this reserve capacity in all of our organs as young 113 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: lads and lasses. Right. But as Tom Schif, who you 114 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: know as my bff, who wrote this article, he points 115 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 1: out that the corneas, when you talk about eye transplants 116 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: there they're talking about corneal transplants. Um, they actually don't 117 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: necessarily deteriorate like all the other organs. Yeah, that's pretty cool. Um, 118 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: So the corneas of seventy five year old donor are 119 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: just as good, considering you know, there's not more wear 120 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: and tear than say a twenty year old. Yeah, you 121 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: could put a seven year old person's cornea inside of 122 00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 1: a young person and there would be no difference. Right, 123 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: But for organs, they deteriorate with age. Well that's the 124 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 1: bad news, right, Um, so eventually you may need one, 125 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: right Well, yeah, because what happens is, let's say one 126 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: organ can deteriorate while the rest of your body remains 127 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: pretty healthy. That's actually best case scenario, as weird as 128 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: that sounds, because that means you can just swap that 129 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: sucker out and you'll be fine again. Right. Well, that 130 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: that's in a very ideal, utopian world. That's exactly what happens. 131 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: The problem is, there is a lot more people in 132 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: need of organs than there are organs available, right right, 133 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: there's um a waiting list. Some aren't so bad. I 134 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: think kidneys go pretty quick, as you're you're talking about earlier. 135 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: The longest wait I found, um was the old heart 136 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: lung combo. That median wait time was six point seven years. 137 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: It's a long time to wait for a heart and 138 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: a long if you need it. Yeah, a long time 139 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: because nobody goes I'm probably gonna need a heart and 140 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: a long combo. Eventually, I'll just put myself on the 141 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: waiting list. Now you need it, like the moment you 142 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: go onto that waiting list and you have to wait 143 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: six point seven years until you get it. Yeah, and 144 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: that's why. Um, the mortality rate while waiting for a 145 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 1: heart is, which is that's not as bad as I 146 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: would I would like, and um, the liver actually is 147 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: the worst. Oh good, yeah, sorry, Um. There's two ways 148 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: you can get organs from a live person or a 149 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: dead person. Yes, Traditionally we don't take organs like the 150 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: heart from a live donor because they would be a 151 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 1: dead donor. After that, you can take things like, uh, 152 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: the liver pancreas uncommonly, but it can be done. A 153 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: portion of the intestine, um, blood, blood, stem cells, bone, marrow, bones, 154 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: all and bones. Yeah, which giving up a bone that's 155 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: really something like, I mean, after that you just kind 156 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:55,439 Speaker 1: of have this floppy arm, but somebody else has a bone, 157 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, that's pretty nice. You Know. What 158 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,319 Speaker 1: I thought was interesting about the kidney deal, like why 159 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:01,479 Speaker 1: you can give up one kidney and still be okay, 160 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:05,719 Speaker 1: is that most of the times when your kidneys are affected, 161 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: they are both affected at the same time, so one's 162 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: never gonna go down. And you'd be like, oh, I 163 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 1: wish I still have my healthy kidneys because they both 164 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: would have been unhealthy. And uh, all right, I think 165 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: we've arrived at the liver. Chuck. This is fascinating to me. 166 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: It is where where should we start? Well, let's just 167 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: start by saying that the liver can grow. It's like 168 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: the starfish of oregan. Yeah, it can regenerate itself, which 169 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: is just freaking amazing. Um. So, for instance, let's say 170 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: you wanted to split your liver in half and transplant 171 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: that into two different people. You could do that. You could. 172 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: And actually, if you're an adult donor, they can cut 173 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: off a portion, a child sized portion, uh, which is 174 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: I think the same as like a child sized meal 175 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: where you get like three chicken nuggets from uh and 176 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: give it to a kid, and chuck, this is so great. 177 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: It grows along with the kid right to a full 178 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: size liver once again, but in step with the kid's maturation. Right, 179 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: that's just mind boggling. Let's say you needed a piece 180 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: of your liver. Let's say you needed your liver replace 181 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 1: and I cut half of my liver off and gave 182 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: it to you. My liver would eventually grow to full 183 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: size once again. Yeah, if I live that long, so 184 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: mine would grow and yours would grow. And the cool 185 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: thing is with the liver, you don't even have to 186 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: take out the old liver. You can just put in 187 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: the new one. It's like the best organ on the planet. 188 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: It really is, and our favorite organ because of the 189 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: function that it serves. So Chuck, like I said, you 190 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: can neither be a dead donor or a living donor. 191 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: A dead donor can donate anything, right, including your yeah, 192 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: and your eyes, um, heart, lung, all that stuff that 193 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: you can't really take from a living donor. Um. But 194 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: there are some exceptions. If you have HIV or disease 195 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: causing bacteria in your blood streamer tissue there and I 196 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,559 Speaker 1: gonna be taking your organs um. And if you are 197 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: a practitioner of the Shinto religion, there's not gonna be 198 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: a lot of organ donation going on there either, right. Yeah, 199 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: not only that, but if you are Amish, they might 200 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:16,199 Speaker 1: support your donation if there is a certainty relative certainty 201 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: of success, but they're more reluctant if it's uh less 202 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: probable of success. Right. And Tom actually mentioned why the 203 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: Gypsies don't agree with organ donation. They believe that, um, 204 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: you need your body for the first year to get 205 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: around the afterlife. Apparently after that you got it down 206 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: pat and you don't really need it any longer. Um. 207 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: But he didn't mention Shinto, but I looked it up. Uh. 208 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: They believe that the corps is impure. The body becomes 209 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: impure after death. So would be like, here, take this 210 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: rotting piece of flesh that will save your life, but 211 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: you're going to be impure while you live. Interesting, So, 212 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 1: as a result in Japan, uh doing, donation rates are 213 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 1: like really really low copared to like the USA. Yeah, 214 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,680 Speaker 1: and Jehovah's witnessed. We should cover them because we're we 215 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 1: always like to talk about them. Uh, they're not opposed 216 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: to it, but they have one rule which I thought 217 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,320 Speaker 1: was interesting. You can donate your organ as long as 218 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: they drain all of the blood out of the organ 219 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: first before giving to someone else. So I guess they're 220 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: not big on transfusions. I don't think so that would 221 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:40,200 Speaker 1: be my guess. Yeah, okay, Um, how do you register Chuck? Well, 222 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: it's pretty easy. Actually in most states. You can do 223 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: it at the d m V, which I always found interesting. 224 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: You can do it right with there when you're getting 225 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: your new driver's license, and uh, here in Georgia. Actually, 226 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: we used to have the one of the highest donor rates, 227 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: or I should say, one of the most expansive donor 228 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 1: registries in the country. And the reason was when you 229 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: went to go get your driver's licenses. I'm sure you remember, Um, 230 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: they'd knock seven bucks off of your driver's license. Love that. 231 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:08,839 Speaker 1: So you were an idiot if you didn't sign up. 232 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: The problem is that there's not supposed to be any 233 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: kind of compensation whatsoever for being Even though this was 234 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:23,439 Speaker 1: legal under state law. UM. The Georgia organ Procurement Organization, 235 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: which we'll talk about a minute, UM, they were very 236 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: hesitant to draw from the Georgia donor list because they 237 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: weren't sure if the person was just looking for the 238 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 1: seven bucks off or else if they really wanted to 239 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: be an organ donor. So actually, the contribution rates were 240 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: very low in comparison of the size of the registry 241 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: in Georgia until two thousand five when they stopped and 242 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: they stopped it, I think to actually give you a 243 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: T shirt too that says I've sold my lungs for 244 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:51,679 Speaker 1: seven dollars that's illegal, and all I got was this 245 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: lousy T shirt. Yeah. No, under a um law. You 246 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: can't have any valuable compensation for organ procurement. Right. Well, 247 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 1: we'll get to that too, the whole black market deal. Okay, 248 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 1: So Chuck, if you're a dead donor, how do you donate? 249 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: There's two ways, right, Uh? Two ways sure, two ways 250 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: of death, brain death and cardiac death. Yeah, is that 251 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: what you mean? Obviously, cardiac death is um a little 252 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: trickier because you only have a certain amount of time 253 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: to get the organs from the body. Brain death a 254 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: lot easier in one sense, because um, there could be 255 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: as you know, weeks to find a match and to 256 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: prepare the organ for donation and get it carried out. 257 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: But there's a wrinkle there. Oh, there's a lot of 258 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: wrinkles there. Let me let me say something about cardiac 259 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: death first, right, Um this there are there are no 260 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: laws really governing organ procurement. It's not a case by 261 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: case basis, and basically everybody involved in the organ procurement 262 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: process does their best to walk a very cautious line 263 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: while harvesting organs to try to of other lives, right, yeah, 264 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: because there's families involved greeting obviously, um, with cardiac death, 265 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: there was a board I think out of Harvard in 266 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: the late nineties that established a five minute wait time 267 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: from the cessation of a heartbeat. Right, So, you you 268 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: take somebody off the life support, wait for the heart 269 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: to stop beating. Five minutes after and while this this 270 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: the heart's winding down, you're prepping the patient for surgery. 271 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: Five minutes after, Uh, somebody pronounces the person dead and 272 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: they cut them open and take the organs. But in 273 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: five minutes, the heart is useless pretty much at that point. 274 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,119 Speaker 1: Some of the other organs, like the liver, the kidneys, 275 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: maybe the lungs can survive that five minutes, but the 276 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: heart's gone. So if you have a cardiac death, you 277 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 1: have a useless heart, even though the heart might have 278 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: been perfectly healthy five minutes ago. Right. So, there was 279 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: this doctor in Colorado that said, you know what, there's 280 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: no law whatsoever that says I have to wait five minutes. 281 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: This guy did a lot of research and found in 282 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: the medical latter sure the longest duration between the cessation 283 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: of a heartbeat and the spontaneous regeneration of a heartbeat 284 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: ever recorded with sixty five seconds. So he started a 285 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: sixty five second rule. Got the pants suit off of him. 286 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: It was an unsuccessful lawsuit, and now all of a sudden, 287 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: the president has been set and now there's a sixty 288 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: five second rule out there that some people adhere to. 289 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: That is how organ procurement has been established in the US. 290 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 1: Somebody pushes the envelope, they get sued if they if 291 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: the cases uh isn't one by the by the plaintiff, 292 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: then you have a new rule. And then weird, there's 293 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: like zero guidance for organ procurement except that the person 294 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: has to be dead. We don't have any real definition 295 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: for death. Well that's where brain death gets really really true. Exactly. 296 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: Take it, Chuck, Well, I don't. I mean, you're the 297 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: you're the expert here. I don't. I can't weigh in 298 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 1: morally because I don't know what I think. Really Nah, 299 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: I mean I know what I might believe for myself, 300 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: but I don't know about establishing guidelines for others. But 301 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: we need them, though, don't we? Yeah? But I don't 302 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: want to make up those rules to you know, and 303 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: apparently the federal government doesn't either. Um. Every once in 304 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: a while, I think Carter assigned a panel to create 305 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 1: a white paper on this, and I guess George Bush 306 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: did right before he left office, because there was one 307 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: that came out in two thousand and eight. Either Bush 308 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: did right before he left office or it was like 309 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: the first thing Obama did when he came into office. 310 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: But there was a very recent white paper that came 311 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: out that said, Okay, here's how we feel about brain death. Right, 312 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: here's the problem. Back in the fifties, I think we 313 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 1: came up with this thing called the ventilator. And with 314 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,439 Speaker 1: the ventilator, you can keep somebody who for all intents 315 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: and purposes dead, You could keep their organs functioning, so 316 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: you're masking death. We have no idea what would happen 317 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: if that ventilator wasn't there. Would the person die? And 318 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: if the person does die, how long do we have 319 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:56,680 Speaker 1: to wait until we say that that person is dead? Right, 320 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: So the ventilator made it so we could procure organs 321 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: more easily in brain death because we can keep them alive. 322 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 1: At the same time, it blurred the line between life 323 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: and death. Well, now they came out with this recommendation 324 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 1: that said brain death is disengagement of no the um 325 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: end of meaningful engagement with the rest of the world, 326 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: which really widened the scope of who exactly is dead. 327 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: And so when you have a brain dead patient and 328 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: you procure their organs, what what you actually do is 329 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 1: you have to run them through this battery of tests 330 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: where you are um shining lights in their pupils. Uh, 331 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: there's an ice water injection into the ear canal to 332 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 1: see if you move toward or away from the stimulus um. 333 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: And there's this battery of tests to establish brain death. 334 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 1: And then here's the clincher. They do an apneas test 335 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:51,479 Speaker 1: where they take you off the ventilator for two minutes 336 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: and see what happens. And see what happens. Inevitably the um, 337 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: the heartbeat is going to slow down, and then after 338 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: two minutes they put the ventilator back on. But that 339 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:05,159 Speaker 1: two minutes where your brain was starved of oxygen was 340 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:10,439 Speaker 1: enough to to create real brain death if you weren't before. Wow, 341 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 1: think about that. This is why they call you supplementary 342 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 1: research man, right, That's why that's your superhero. And can 343 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 1: you hear like people fast forwarding through to get through this, partners, 344 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:24,479 Speaker 1: It's like Josh, josh h Josh. Okay, So we have this, 345 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: we have this new definition of brain death. And when 346 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: the second apnea test happens, and you're declared brain dead. 347 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:37,880 Speaker 1: What they anesthetize you, they inject you with anti paralytics. 348 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: Will you into that hospital room and they harvest your organs, 349 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: so you actually die from a lack of organs present 350 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: in your body. So that's that it's a ghoulish matter. 351 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: And these people who are in charge of making sure 352 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: that people donate and keeping the image of organ donation 353 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:00,360 Speaker 1: as a gift of life alive have to battle with 354 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,919 Speaker 1: this the fact that it's a very ghoulish process. Right, 355 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,360 Speaker 1: you're right, So who's who's in charge of this stuff? Uh? 356 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:14,680 Speaker 1: For what? For that whole soapopsh feel anytime, buddy, Yes, Josh. 357 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: That would be called an O p O, which is 358 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: an organ procurement organization and they are federally designated nonprofits 359 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: and they are local all over the country. There's usually 360 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 1: UM one in the central location of a state and 361 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: then different satellite office is obviously because you need to 362 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,959 Speaker 1: be close by, you know, you can't be hopping all 363 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: over the country to get these organs, although that happens 364 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 1: as well. And they basically responsible for awareness, recruitment, evaluation, 365 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: UM organ removal and transportation. So they're the people that's 366 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: standing there with a cooler waiting to drop your organ 367 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: in there and rush it to the recipient. They're also 368 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: the people that talk to the family generally well. Sure, 369 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 1: so anytime somebody dies you, the hospital is legally obligated 370 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: to note a by the organ procurement organization. Right, and 371 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: you know this, This is a good point to bring 372 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:05,680 Speaker 1: this up. If you want to be an organ downer, 373 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: or if you are, you really need to tell your 374 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,199 Speaker 1: family the stuff, and you should have it all in 375 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 1: your living will because things can get a little ugly. Um. 376 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: For instance, let's say you are from a very strict 377 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:21,479 Speaker 1: religious background. Maybe your family doesn't want you cut up. 378 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: They think that would be a bad thing, but you 379 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: want it. You gotta have that, you know, in paper 380 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: on paper, in writing, right, you need and if you 381 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: have a documented um in a lot of cases, even 382 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: if you if your family is like, no, we don't 383 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 1: want to donate the organs, the organ procuman organization will say, 384 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 1: you know what, ts sorry, he want he or she 385 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 1: wanted to be an organ owner. So and the last 386 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 1: thing you want after you die is for your spouse. 387 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: Let's say, to have to mountain this campaign against your 388 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: family like a tug of war like that. You gotta 389 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:53,719 Speaker 1: have it all spelled out. Um, So where are we? 390 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: The United Network of Organ Sharing that's another group. This 391 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: is where that's where you got the kidney statistics. We're 392 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: gonna go back on and look at right. Yeah, they're 393 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 1: in Richmond, Virginia, and they are responsible for placing donated 394 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: organs um and maintaining the waiting list like you just said. 395 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 1: And they never close No. Seven three sixty five, which 396 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 1: is how it should be. Obviously, we should try calling 397 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 1: them right now to see if they're open. Let's not 398 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: do that. I'm sure they're open. And then chuck, there's 399 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients right, Yes, the s 400 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,280 Speaker 1: R t R. And they basically maintain like every amount 401 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: of data you could possibly want on transplants, right, for 402 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: like policy makers and doctors and drug makers and that 403 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. Yes, And there was one more called 404 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: the organs uh sorry, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, 405 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,199 Speaker 1: and they're they're just another network that matches people with 406 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: recipients and has waiting list that kind of thing, right, 407 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 1: So this is actually a pretty um lean, mean, streamlined machine. Yeah. 408 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: The procurement and donation network. It has to be right. So, Chuck, 409 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: you were saying, like they can't be hopping all over 410 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: the country, but they have to sometime times. So what 411 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:06,199 Speaker 1: happens with like, let's say somebody dies in Sacramento and 412 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: they have the perfect heart that somebody in Tampa needs. 413 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: What happens, well, they will put it into a cooler 414 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: and fly it to uh what was the destination? Tampa? Tampa? 415 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: They fly to Tampa. Apparently like the hospital in Tampa. 416 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: Those people will go fly to Sacramento, take possession of it, 417 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 1: and fly it back unless there's somebody in the like 418 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: like let's say somebody in Sacramento needed it and somebody 419 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 1: at the Sacramento General Hospital died, that's when that cooler 420 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 1: comes in. Which have you seen the one that's at 421 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:40,160 Speaker 1: the office. We have an organ transplant cooler. Yeah, it's 422 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: pretty cool. Roxane keeper tab in it ap probably. Uh. 423 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:46,879 Speaker 1: You know what I thought was really cool is if 424 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:51,159 Speaker 1: you were on the organ donation list as a living donor, 425 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,680 Speaker 1: you are actually given consideration if you need an organ 426 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: transplant yourself. And they said that they won't like bump 427 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:00,640 Speaker 1: you to the top of the list, but they will 428 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:02,439 Speaker 1: give that a little bit of extra weight, which I 429 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:06,200 Speaker 1: think is that's only right. Did you also see that? Um, 430 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: if you are a living donor and you usually your 431 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,479 Speaker 1: insurance company won't raise your rates after that. But if 432 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:17,440 Speaker 1: you move to another insurer change like plans, they'll hit 433 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 1: you with a pre existing condition. That's how evil and 434 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: seriously you sign up for listening. I will give someone 435 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: my kidney as a living human, and the insurance companies 436 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 1: are like, oh, well, you might have to charge a 437 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 1: little extra for that. Don't you think we should start 438 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 1: publicly executing CEOs of insurance companies. It should be part 439 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: of the healthcare reform package? Right, of course we don't 440 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 1: mean that. Thanks for the CEO, so Chuck. When when 441 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: you're talking about people running around with coolers and all that, 442 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 1: it kind of creates this harried pace right in your mind. Um, 443 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: and that's very much true. You have a very short 444 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 1: amount of time for an organ to survive. Remember I said, 445 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:57,400 Speaker 1: like even five minutes can kill a heart once it's 446 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: deprived of oxygen, which it stops beating. Right. Um, what 447 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,440 Speaker 1: happens when you die too? The body undergoes all these 448 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: huge changes. Um, that happened almost immediately, like, um, there's 449 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:16,679 Speaker 1: this uh, parasympathetic flood of chemicals right, um, which is 450 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:20,639 Speaker 1: like kind of fight or flight on steroids. So I 451 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: guess it's a sympathetic flood. Like dopamine levels increase eight 452 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 1: hundred percent, epinephrin levels increase, nor EEF levels increase, So 453 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,560 Speaker 1: all these chemicals that are meant to like either speed 454 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:37,439 Speaker 1: you up or slow you down or just flooding your body. 455 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,919 Speaker 1: That's why you have to take the drugs right most times, Well, no, 456 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:43,359 Speaker 1: this is when you die. So when they're trying to 457 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 1: harvest these organs, they're like trying to get them out 458 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,680 Speaker 1: of the body before this flood just damages these I 459 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: thought you meant as a recipient that would happen. No, 460 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,160 Speaker 1: that'd be pretty awesome though, to have your dopamine levels 461 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 1: raised eight percent, right, But it's not as easy as 462 00:25:57,760 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: just throwing the new heart in there either and sewing 463 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,120 Speaker 1: you up and say good luck with your life. No, no, 464 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: it's not. And uh there's also some expectation that you 465 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 1: lead a very healthy life after that. You're not supposed 466 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: to be drinking or smoking or swearing, and um, you 467 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 1: have to stay away from call girls and things like that. Yeah, 468 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: you shouldn't get a new liver and then like dive 469 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: into the vodka bottle. You're you're pretty much signing a 470 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,679 Speaker 1: contract to become ned Flanders after you get your organ donation. Yeah. Actually, 471 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: just over Christmas heard of a friend of a friend 472 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: of a family member that was a candidate for I 473 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,679 Speaker 1: think a liver transplant and they would not do it 474 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: because he wouldn't enter um rehab. Really yeah, wow, so 475 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 1: that's hardcore. Yeah, that guy's dedicated to the booze, isn't it. Yeah, 476 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 1: pretty much. Um. And also you're if you are a recipient, 477 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 1: there's some expectation that you pay like for the lodging 478 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 1: and travel expenses of the person who donated. Yeah, it's 479 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: kind of an a written rule from what I understand 480 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:03,399 Speaker 1: well and have to be real, you know, it's kind 481 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: of against the law really well, but it makes sense though, 482 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: because if you're let's say, you want to donate a 483 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:09,840 Speaker 1: kidney to someone that lives across the country and you're 484 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,639 Speaker 1: spending money off from work and flying out there and 485 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: putting yourself up, it's gonna cost you some dough and 486 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: a kidney. Yes, you'd have to be a really nice 487 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 1: person to be in an anonymous living donor. Yeah, that'd 488 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:49,680 Speaker 1: be cool. All right, So Chuck, you want to talk 489 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: about the black market? Yes, the black market does exist. 490 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: Isn't that crazy? Um? Yeah, but not surprising. No, but 491 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:03,840 Speaker 1: it's pretty interesting. Um. It obviously exists, Um, typically outside 492 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: of the United States, although there have been some cases 493 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,919 Speaker 1: inside the United States. Usually it's like, and this is 494 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: what's so sad. Usually it's impoverished nations. And what will 495 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 1: happen is there will be a couple of countries involved. 496 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: You'll take someone out of a really poor country, offer 497 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: them like five thousand dollars for their kidney, and then 498 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:23,639 Speaker 1: the middleman will get, you know, a hundred thousand dollars 499 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: for that kidney. And you know that it's not like 500 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: these are done in professional surgical rooms. It's a lot 501 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: of time, it's it's the back room, if you know 502 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,439 Speaker 1: what I mean. And that's actually exactly what happened in 503 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: two thousand three in South Africa. Yeah, they were importing 504 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 1: people from uh, I guess the city of God in Brazil. Yeah, 505 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 1: slums of Brazil. Yeah, and um, giving them five grand 506 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: for their kidney and then turn around selling it for 507 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: a hundred k Yep. That's nuts yep. And uh where 508 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 1: else did it happen? Villagers in India so that they 509 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: were getting they weren't getting nearly. They were getting about 510 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: eight hundred dollars for their organs, which is just unbelievable. 511 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 1: And at one time the Israeli organ brokers were obtaining 512 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: these from Soviet Bloc nations and doing the operations in Turkey, 513 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 1: and this one guy made a middleman, made about four 514 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,520 Speaker 1: million dollars before he was called, which is not bad 515 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: harvesting organs, although I imagine being an illegal organ broker 516 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 1: is a fairly stressful job. Yeah, and it happens in 517 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 1: the US too, although customarily it's um an organ broker 518 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:35,480 Speaker 1: and a nefarious funeral director who harvest organs before cremation. 519 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 1: Did you know this happened? No? I didn't either, And 520 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 1: I saw all the six feet under of course you did. Uh. 521 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: Did you see the movie Trista's No, that wasn't very good. 522 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: That was the the deal there though kids are like 523 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: captured in the jungle. No, but it was like an 524 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 1: Eli Roth movie. It was like hostile, except they were 525 00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: harvesting organs basically instead of blind torture uh. And speaking 526 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: of that, thereristas that actually does happen in the world. 527 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 1: It's not just old wives tales. Kidney theft does happen, 528 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: It really does. Mohammed, what do you say. His name 529 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: was Selim Khan. Yes, he lived in Delhi, India, and 530 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 1: he was looking for a day's work and agreed to 531 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: go to a house under the premise that he would 532 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 1: get about four dollars a day for performing uh work. 533 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: Their construction work. All is on the up and up 534 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 1: so far. Then he has held at gunpoint for several 535 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 1: days along with two other day labors. They were taken 536 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: to an operating room drugged and they awoke with a 537 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: horrific pain in their side and minus one kidney. And 538 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: when they took him to the hospital. When he went 539 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:49,840 Speaker 1: to the hospital, he checked him out and he had 540 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 1: indeed been down one kidney. Not an urban legend. That 541 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 1: really happens, although it makes me wonder if the urban 542 00:30:56,080 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 1: legend gave rise to the actual practice. Oh, yeah, you know, 543 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: maybe so. And Josh, the one US case that was 544 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: in here was really interesting too. Yes, Michael Master Master Marino. 545 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,400 Speaker 1: There's an oral surgeon in New York and he opened 546 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:15,600 Speaker 1: a company called Biomedical Tissue Services with an embalmer, which 547 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:17,959 Speaker 1: should have been a real red flag that he partners 548 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 1: up with an embalmer. And this is in the year 549 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 1: two thousand, not even that long ago. Actually it was 550 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 1: ten years ago. I'm old. Uh. For many years though, 551 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,600 Speaker 1: they harvested human tissue provided by funeral homes and sold 552 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: it to research facilities. And one of those bodies belonged 553 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: to who Alistair Cook Alistair Cook, famous host of Masterpiece Theater. 554 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 1: So he was chopped up and given to unwitting Well, 555 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: I don't know about recipients. They did harvest some of 556 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 1: his tissue. Yeah, yeah, how about that? It's pretty awesome. 557 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: So where are we now? We are I think we're 558 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 1: at the point where we checked those stats. I have 559 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: them written down here as of two oh three pm. 560 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,280 Speaker 1: What time is it now? Chuck's gotta get out of 561 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: his Josh is one okay? To thirty one? I gotta 562 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: telling me disappointed If this number hasn't gone down, I 563 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: think all of our listeners will be too. So we 564 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: started out Chuck with a total of one hundred and 565 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 1: five thousand, two hundred eighty eight on the waiting list. 566 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: What are we at one oh five. Okay, nothing has 567 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 1: changed in twenty minutes with the kidney. We are at 568 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: eighty three thousand twelve. Well, it would be the same 569 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 1: because that was the master stat so the kidney didn't 570 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 1: change either. Let's just hope Jerry didn't put a drum 571 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 1: roll in anywhere, right. But I will say though, don't 572 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: be disappointed, because, like I said earlier this morning, UM, 573 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: three people received kidneys that were in search. That's awesome. 574 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 1: Or else they died waiting. Yeah, let's let's like to 575 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 1: think the other scenario panned out. Are you a donor? 576 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:51,400 Speaker 1: I don't remember. I was. At one point in time, 577 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 1: I was that seven bucks off, But UM, I think 578 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: I'm going to go ahead and do it. Yeah, this 579 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: article inspired me because I'm a the belief that the 580 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: human body after you die is like worm dirt. So 581 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 1: I have no problem with donating my entire body or 582 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 1: all my organs, none of that. Yeah. Well, if you 583 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 1: want to learn more about organ donation, you can read 584 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: Tom Sheave's article on how Stuff Works dot com. UH. 585 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: You can also check out the UM what is It? 586 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 1: Chuck the Organ Procurement Network UM for their side of 587 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 1: the story. But I think you should also check out 588 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 1: the Life Guardian Foundation. They have a very much opposing 589 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: view of organ donation, So such a controversial topic should 590 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: probably um get all of the facts before you make 591 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:43,520 Speaker 1: the very um important decision of whether or not you're 592 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: going to be a dead donor. And if you decide 593 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 1: that you want to be, like Chuck said, let everybody know, 594 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: tell everybody, tell strangers on the streets. Just anytime you 595 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:55,080 Speaker 1: meet a doctor, go I'm going to be an organ donor. 596 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:56,960 Speaker 1: And you may want to make the decision with your 597 00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 1: loved ones as well, even though ultimately it is it 598 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: is your right. So good luck with being a rag 599 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:11,520 Speaker 1: doll in the afterlife. Which leads us, of course to listener. Now, Yes, Josh, 600 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:15,280 Speaker 1: I am going to call this uh interesting cleptomania story 601 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: from Sarah okay um hi, Josh, Chuck and Jerry, And 602 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:23,240 Speaker 1: she even spelled it correctly. Wow. I think that deserves 603 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:26,400 Speaker 1: a T shirt, don't you? Oh? Actually she didn't, Sorry 604 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 1: to ours Okay close though. Uh here's a story that 605 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 1: I always think of when you hear anything about kleptomania. 606 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 1: A while ago, I was working in a large independent 607 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:37,600 Speaker 1: bookstore that had been a city institution for years. Like 608 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: any retail establishment, they had experience about ten theft loss 609 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 1: a year, nothing too unusual. However, one day in the 610 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 1: late eighties they received a thick, densely written journal which 611 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 1: detailed to the day, our moment, weather condition, et cetera, 612 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: every single book this person ever stole from the bookstory. 613 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:57,719 Speaker 1: But this guy turned it in. Uh. They showed it 614 00:34:57,760 --> 00:34:59,319 Speaker 1: to us in sales training. It was written in a 615 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,640 Speaker 1: cramped hand and all pages front and back, which is 616 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: really creepy. When you're writing on front and back, you're 617 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 1: either really green or you're like a serial killer. That's 618 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:11,000 Speaker 1: what I think. Uh. Sometimes a clipping or a picture 619 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 1: from one of the stolen books is taped to it. So, 620 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: of course the bookstore said, huh, maybe we should prosecute. 621 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:19,319 Speaker 1: Since they confessed basically to stealing over a period of 622 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:22,640 Speaker 1: twenty years, adding up to thousands of dollars is recognition. 623 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: They contacted the people that returned address, and it turned 624 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: out the person who wrote in was a son or 625 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 1: daughter the very prominent local family active in politics and 626 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: big charities and the like, the kind of family they 627 00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:37,880 Speaker 1: named Wings of Hospitals after food Sarah say, so, of 628 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:39,759 Speaker 1: course they didn't want their good name, dragted the mud, 629 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:42,800 Speaker 1: and apparently settled out of court for an undisclosed Some 630 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 1: money can do that. I guess that journal was something 631 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:49,440 Speaker 1: to behold though, So, um, that's what Sarah says. That 632 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:55,319 Speaker 1: is definitely that's awesome. Yeah. Cool, Well, if anybody's ever 633 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 1: sent you a cryptic or disturbing journal and you want 634 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:00,319 Speaker 1: to tell us about it, or if you just want 635 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:02,799 Speaker 1: to say hi, you can send us an email at 636 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:11,359 Speaker 1: stuff podcast at how stuff works dot com. For more 637 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:13,719 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics, is it how 638 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:17,439 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Want more how stuff works, check 639 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 1: out our blogs on the how stuff works dot com 640 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:21,279 Speaker 1: home page. H