[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-20762437

Jennifer Wederell, of Hawkwell, Essex, died at home in August - 16 months after the transplant at Harefield Hospital in London.

Colin Grannell said he believes his daughter would not have agreed to the transplant had she known the middle-aged donor was a heavy smoker.

The hospital has apologised for not giving her that choice.

Jennifer had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of two and by her mid-20s was using oxygen 24 hours a day.

She had been on the waiting list for a lung transplant for 18 months when in April 2011, she was told there had been a match.

Mr Grannell said the family had "lived all for that moment" for years, and thought it would help Jennifer "cheat" her condition.

She married her fiance David Wederell in September last year, but by February 2012 a malignant mass was found in her lungs.

"The shock immediately turned to anger in so far as all the risks were explained in the hour before her transplant and not once was the fact smoker's lungs would be used mentioned," said Mr Grannell.

"She was dying a death that was meant for someone else."

He has set up a Facebook group, Jennifer's Choice, to encourage non-smokers to sign up to the organ donor register.

The Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust said: "It is very rare for patients to specify that they do not wish to be considered for clinically healthy lungs from smokers.

"This is because the risks are much higher if patients decline donor lungs from a former smoker, and decide to wait for another set of organs which are both a match for them and from a non-smoker, to become available.

"However, we recognise that Jennifer should have been given the opportunity to make this choice.

"We have apologised sincerely for this oversight.

"Regrettably, the number of lungs available for transplantation would fall by 40% if there was a policy of refusing those which have come from a smoker; waiting lists would increase and many more patients would die without a transplant."

Has it always been hospital policy to use smokers' lungs?

[Niamh.]

I didn't think a smoker would qualify as a donor

[Vanessa]

Giving her a heavy smoker lungs? What were they thinking!

[SharkAttack]

Is there more to this? Sounds awful. Going through so much surgery to incorporate the lungs of a poor somebody-else who already had difficulties, but still had the heart to donate themselves. Double-tragic.

[arista]

Tragic Error

I have sympathy with all parties here. Donated organs are in a severely short supply. I carry a donor card but don't know of many others that do, even though most of us support it.

I can only presume that they would have checked the lungs first, before agreeing to use them. I'm guessing the woman wasn't given a choice of 5 to pick from. She may not have lived as long as she did without those lungs.

Nature has a way of killing us off when for no apparent reason. If I was ill and I was offered another 2 years to spend with my loved ones, I'd probably take it. Sometimes **** just happens.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Jesus.H.Christ

I have sympathy with all parties here. Donated organs are in a severely short supply. I carry a donor card but don't know of many others that do, even though most of us support it.

I can only presume that they would have checked the lungs first, before agreeing to use them. I'm guessing the woman wasn't given a choice of 5 to pick from. She may not have lived as long as she did without those lungs.

Nature has a way of killing us off when for no apparent reason. If I was ill and I was offered another 2 years to spend with my loved ones, I'd probably take it. Sometimes **** just happens.

Pretty much all of this.

I'm on the donor list, but pretty sure not many body parts will be of much use to anyone once I go..I told them they can take anything except my eyes. Even though I will be dead the thought of people touching my eyes makes my skin crawl

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Pretty much all of this.

I'm on the donor list, but pretty sure not many body parts will be of much use to anyone once I go..I told them they can take anything except my eyes. Even though I will be dead the thought of people touching my eyes makes my skin crawl

That really made me laugh.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Jesus.H.Christ

That really made me laugh.

I might possibly have let them take my eyes, if that was what was stated on the form. But it says just 'corneas' which tells me they will be cutting my eyes open and just taking pieces of them...just no.

[Nedusa]

This is an unforgiveable error by the Health authorities, they surely have a duty to disclose such an important fact as it could (and did) lead to a much shorter potential lifespan for this recipient than if the lungs were from a non smoker.

Nobody can say this wouldn't have happened to the recipient even with a non smokers donated lungs, but surely the chances would have been lower.The family had a right to know all the facts surrounding this issue so they would be better placed to decide on whether the transplant goes ahead...!!!

[AnnieK]

I wouldn't have thought a smoker could donate lungs etc but I tend to agree with what JHC said too. The only error is if they had not explained the risks to the transplantee which in this case it sounds like they didn't. A very sad tale.

I carry a donor card and hope I could be of help to someone in the event of my death.

[Vicky.]

Also not all smokers get cancer or whatever.

'The Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust said: "It is very rare for patients to specify that they do not wish to be considered for clinically healthy lungs from smokers. '

implies that the lungs were tested and didnt have a problem at the time of the transplant. The hospital couldnt really have known that 2 years down the line there would be a problem if the lungs were healthy at the time.

I really doubt she would have refused the lungs just on the fact that the donor was a smoker, if she was told that they were healthy (at that time)

[AnnieK]

The donor card issue is another thing that needs looking at to IMO. I think (although please correct me if I am wrong) but even though you carry a card your next of Kin makes the ultimate decision which I think is wrong as it must be so difficult to agree to having your loved one kept alive to be operated on so I think some people refuse in shock.