Celine Bernadette H. Francisco Sept 16, 2014 MANETH Case Analysis Family Opposition to Organ Donation 1. What ought to happen next -- and on what moral grounds? Due to the circumstances involving the case of JD’s family opposing organ donation, it helps to understand more the ethical/moral grounds by which the organ procurement organization (OPO) and the MICU staff are liable onto. Since JD still has a heart and “organ donor” stamp on his driver’s license which authorizes him to donate his organs should anything happen to him (entailing a “first person consent”), and given his family’s opposition during the time that the medical team opened up the donation issue, the team can still set aside some time for JD’s family to rethink things. Since they are under the grieving process (and there may still be impulse reactions here), the OPO can consider explaining further the circumstances. They can still give it a shot by reiterating to the family the benefits organ donation would have as well as the disadvantages, most especially since they won’t adhere to JD’s wish of donating his organs, if ever they won’t do so. Buying some time may most likely help give the family more time to reflect on the pros and cons and later on, agree with the organ donation. However, if worse comes to worst and the family still does not agree, then the OPO needs to understand their decision (becoming JD’s surrogate decision-maker or advocates). Even though there’s the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act stating that “a person other than the donor is barred from making, amending, or revoking an anatomical gift of a donor’s body or a part if the donor made an anatomical gift…” [194.240. 1], family