OMG!: Veteran broadcaster's remains 'stolen' for transplants

Re: OMG!: Veteran broadcaster's remains 'stolen' for transpl

You're right! It is unbelieveable!

I just can't understand how Reyn could have missed a juicy, bizarre story like this!

I have to blame it on pre-occupation of my upcoming retirement.

Sorry, I promise to do better.

Not to worry, Reyn. I'm on holiday & you're not. Yet! :wink:

But honestly, really .... how could such an outrageous thing occur? In the UK, I presume? In the 21st century. OMG!

>>The New York Daily News says some of his bones were removed without the family's permission and sold for transplants.
<<


ok
I for one am not sure that this is true..
That would mean that , just after he died, IN A HOSPITAL , someone came at him with a bone saw ( LOUD!) , or began to open up his legs, arms or what have you ( Messy) and noone saw this?

To my understanding morgue's do NOT have the equipment to do such things.
The last time I was in a morgue ( about 10= years ago) their tools were fairly crude and simple.
Small hammers to break the bones so the body could lay straight . Simple glue for eyes, mouth, etc.. and if the body was to be embalmed, it was hooked with IV's in the ankles. Makeup and simple "body cleaning" tools were all to be found.

Depending on how much work needed to be done on the body for presentation preperation.. they were often sent out. ( ie- organ removal etc)

i dunno... I guess it was possible, but then my next question is who ( doctors/insurance companies) would OK a transplant from someone who had cancer?
If that could be proven by the person who recieved these bones.. talk about a HUGE law suit.. and all above named will pay for it..


Things that make you go HHHhhhmmmmmmmm

This would have happened in the United States--he was made a citizen by an Act of Congress.

I thought it was pretty amazing, too, shewolf, but the story was carried by "respectable" news sources, so who knows? Members of his family were quoted, too ....

There is a HUGE market for transplant materials in "third world" operations (pun intended)--and they are not very scrupulous about the sources. In some third world nations, healthy people have organs or parts of organs surgically removed for sale at scandalously low prices.

Thanks, Setanta. I was wondering where he died. He lived there for years & years, but I thought, being British, he might have returned home when he became so ill.

He was very well known to Oz's ABC (public radio) audience.
His letters from America were a regular feature. Very interesting!

I'm pretty sure he was living in the vicinity of New York, but i didn't say so, because i don't know it for a fact.

Being made a citizen by Congress puts him in a pretty exclusive club--this has been done often by members of Congress doing favors for political cronies, but it is not often done by the full Congress as a public act of recognition--the usual routine is to bury the favor in a routine bill which will be passed without opposition.

In the realm of such actions being done by Congress as a tribute to someone, that puts him up there with Winston Churchill, who was made a citizen by Congress by acclamation, without prejudice to his status as a subject of the Crown--and he was "half-American," already--Randolph Churchill, third son of the seventh Duke of Marlborough, married Jennie Jerome, an American heiress, daughter of Leonard Jerome of New York, in 1874. Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born seven months later (Ooops! ! !).

I can understand why he was given such a tribute, Setanta. He was a very intelligent, insightful & witty broadcaster.

Yes, and he had become as familiar to Americans as the host of the popular Public Broadcasting System program Masterpiece Theater (we don't misspell theater) as he was to the English for his BBC broadcasts. He also did some quite good programs (we don't misspell program, either) on American history. He seems to have had a high opinion of our nation, which tends to put him in as small a club as having been so honored by Congress.

Re: OMG!: Veteran broadcaster's remains 'stolen' for transpl

It's good to have a post-retirement purpose....

I do remember the kidney sales scam...


The more I think about it, I GUESS it would be possible.
Im not questioning the sources it came from , those I dont doubt.

I guess , to me , it just seems like such a HUGE production to have to hide for a bone or two. But, as you said, that will bring someone a good profit.

Bone transplant from a bone cancer victim? That doesn't make sense.

Is "The New York Daily News" really that reputable?

It's a tabloid:

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9055535

soz

By "reputable" I meant the Oz source of the story (which prompted me to start this thread). The AGE is one of our most reputable newspapers. Also Channel 4 (in the UK) apparently covered it, too. I don't know anything about the New York Daily News. And the fact that the AGE story quoted Cooke's step-daughter & daughter seemed to give the story some credibility. The situation looked pretty outrageous to me, too, but I assumed, given these sources, that it actually happened.

Some dozen other media report this, too - even Voice of America.

Thanks, Walter.
Rather alarming, isn't it?:

Authorities in New York City are investigating whether area funeral homes have illegally plundered corpses, including the body of veteran British broadcaster and author Alistair Cooke.

Officials confirm media reports that they have been conducting a year-long investigation into the removal of body parts without the prior consent of the deceased or their relatives. One firm under suspicion is Biomedical Tissue Services, a broker that sells body parts to firms that process them for transplants, therapy and research.

Not exactly something one would expect!