Sarah gets transplant after legal fight

An Irish-American girl whose fight to qualify for organ donation drew nationwide debate in the US over how organs are allocated, underwent a lung transplant operation last night after a match with an adult donor was made.

Sarah Murnaghan, 10, who suffers from severe cystic fibrosis, received her new lungs at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, family spokeswoman Maureen Garrity said.

Murnaghan’s relatives were “beyond excited” about the development but were “keeping in mind that someone had to lose a family member and they’re very aware of that and very appreciative,” Garrity said.

Murnaghan’s health was deteriorating when a judge intervened last week, giving her a chance at the much larger list of organs from adult donors.

“Some people would look at this and say it’s evidence that if you get a PR campaign, a congressman and federal judge to pay attention, you’re going to have far greater access to a transplant, but I don’t think that’s true,” said ethicist Arthur Caplan of the NYU Langone Medical Centre in New York.

The family received word about the donor lungs on Tuesday night, Garrity said. The surgery began just after 11.30am local time (6.30pm Irish time) yesterday and was expected to take at least six hours, she said.

Murnaghan’s mother, Janet, said in a Facebook post that the family was “overwhelmed with emotions” and thanked all her supporters.

“Today is the start of Sarah’s new beginning and new life!” she wrote, adding that the donor’s family “has experienced a tremendous loss, may God grant them a peace that surpasses understanding.”

Murnaghan’s family and the family of another cystic fibrosis patient challenged existing transplant policy that made children under 12 wait for paediatric lungs to become available or be offered lungs donated by adults only after adolescents and adults on the waiting list had been considered. They said paediatric lungs are rarely donated.

On Jun 5, federal Judge Michael Baylson in Philadelphia ruled that Murnaghan and Javier Acosta, 11, of New York City should be eligible for adult lungs.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network says 31 children under age 11 are on the waiting list for a lung transplant.

Critics warned there could be a downside to having judges intervene in the system’s procedures.