A new reality show will air soon on which a patient with an inoperable brain tumor will decide who gets one of her kidneys.
I’m not making this up. The Dutch show is called “Big Donor Show” and will air on BNN Television.
In true American Idol - TV 2.0 fashion, viewers will also get to cast votes by SMS or text message for their favorite of the 3 potential organ donor recipients.
Dutch doctors have been asked to refuse to participate in any transplant and the transplant centers in the region have vowed not to participate in the publicity stunt.
My biggest complaint is pretty obvious, this makes a mockery out of the very real problem of organ donor shortage and should never have made it past the first level of production decision making.
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This violates virtually every tennent of organ transplant ethics. Granted, if I want, I can give (one) of my kidneys to whomever I please. I can even sell my kidney (in some countries). But having the public vote on who is most deserving of the kidney, and having third parties who are not affiliated with the donation system (TV production company, advertisers, etc.) making big money off the transaction, is ethically problematic.
“Kidney transplant TV show is a hoax
By TOBY STERLING, Associated Press Writer
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A Dutch television show in which a terminally ill woman would supposedly donate her kidney to one of three contestants was revealed as a hoax Friday.
At the last moment, presenter Patrick Lodiers of the “Big Donor Show” said the woman known as “Lisa” was an actress, not actually dying of a brain tumor as claimed.
The entire exercise was intended to pressure the government into reforming its organ donation laws and raise public awareness of the need for organs.
The three prospective recipients were real patients in need of transplants and had been in on the hoax, the show said.”
…… If you want to read the rest,…. hit the AP newswire ….
A great scheme to educate people and raise awarness about the importance of organ donation..
If you’re reading this, please fill out your organ donation card and tell your family your intentions (you must do both). You gotta do this before you die or else nobody will benefit from your parts cause you can’t speak for youself when your dead.
@ Mr. Squeaky - I hardly think its appropriate to say a hoax like this could ever be called a success. Is this any different than a terriost threat hoax to bring attention to security issues. I hope I’m not sounding too ego-American-cetrist, but these execs who approved of this wouldn’t have their jobs tomorrow.
chewie,
I don’t know. Somebody is a little sensitive. It was a PR and publicity raising campaign. Pretty good one if you ask me.
I don’t at all see how this equates to a terrorist threat hoax. It’s not even close. You’d have to argue that people panicked and that it caused chaos, and that people were hurt. That’s what happens with a terrorist threat (much like screaming fire at a Ted Nugent concert).
I disagree, the people who came up with this should be promoted.