Girl of 19 drinking again two weeks after a liver transplant

[AB Asks]

A girl of 19 suffered from liver failure and was given only 12 hours to live, doctors feared she would not receive a transplant in time � she did however. Two weeks after leaving hospital she had an alcoholic drink saying she would feel left out if she didn't drink with her friends. What do you think? Is this girl showing complete disrespect to her donor's family by drinking on her new liver - which she has been warned could kill her? Or is she trying to move on with her life as a normal 19 year-old?

[eyeshade]

Did her original liver fail becuase of alcoholism ? If not, I can't see the problem if she wants a drink but if she continued to abuse the new liver by binge drinking then what is anyone going to do - whip it out and give it to someone more worthy? I don't think so.

[gina32]

yes i do think she is lacking in respect for the donors family, the person died and family helped by the donation of the organs, if she did have liver damage because of the drink thats even worse, but just the same as george best, ok so she felt left out, would she sooner be dead???

[OBonio]

I think out of respect to the donor's family, she should consult with them before she wants to do what she wants with her life.

[fine,thanks]

all relevant facts of this case would be helpful, rather than a headline to incite indignation.

[MrBen5]

Hmmm, well if what you say is true, then its total disrespectful to the donors.
Maybe she is trying to move on with her life as normal, but unfortunately she cant live it the same way she did before...

[carrust]

Is there a link to the question? Was she an alcoholic?

[daffy654]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=478126&in_page_i d=1770

[Reverandfunk]

Let her kill herself. That dirty underclass raises it's head again.

[gina32]

she deserves everything she gets

[carrust]

She's not the first, & will not be the last...George Best??? They've got her body sorted-out but not her soul!

[redcrx]

Why cant the doctors give her drugs that make her get vomit if she even has a sip of alcohol?

Or prey on every teenagers worst fear, a tablet that makes her put on 2 stone for every drink she has.

Thatd soon put a stop to her stupidity!!!

[carrust]

Red. She's got to want to stop drinking. You can give an alcoholic or drug addict any amount of pills, but in the end they've got to want to stop the substance abuse.

[RATTER15]

She should be charged for the full cost of her operation!!! + parts!!

[andy-hughes]

Much as it grieves the right-wingers among us, you cannot dictate someone's life for them on the basis of their receipt of National health care which is not discriminatory.

In an ideal world, no young person would binge drink, but the society we have dictates that it is seen as a 'good night out' to indulge in alcohol poisoning on a regular and frequent basis.

The fact that this teenager is unable to make the connection between her alcohol consumption and her health is a lack of education and a cultural attitude brought on by peer pressure.

The notion that a complete stranger can decide that this woman is 'undeserving' of her health, or 'disrespecteful' of the donor's family, and should be punished accordingly - as expressed with some venom by previous posters - says more about their own facist views than the behaviour of the person in question.

Yes, it would be nice if she was grateful, sensible, and a role model for the whole world under twenty-fivve, but life is simply not like that - and we have to accept that people do not forgo their rights to the choices available to the rest of us simply because they may misuse them.

It's not ideal, but that's the way the world is.

If you really want to stop this happening - lobby your MP for money to be poured into pres-school and nursery education - that is where society's problems begin, and where they can be solved.

Bleating about the actions of an adult in a free society is futile. Change society from the youngest upwards, then you will see some results.

[chompu]

Andy

As much as I usually agree with your sensible and objective viewpoints,there are a couple of things I must disagree with in your post.
Firstly the question of education. Young people are better educated about the dangers of alcohol than they were in the past. It's part of their health and moral education in schools. In this case, no doubt, she received further advice from her doctors. She is a student so I would presume intelligent enough to understand what she had been taught.
To ignore that advice is an extemely disrespectful and selfish act. The relatives of the donor would have gained solace from the thought that their death had had a positive outcome for someone. For that person to begin to waste that chance must be distressing for them. I think personally it would make me pretty angry.

[someonesgirl]

shes 19 and shes had to deal with something that most adults wish will never happen to them. Shes obvoiusly not coping with how to get over this and the yearning to be "normal" is manifesting itself in destructive behaviour. I suggest you encourage her to seek professional help to cope with what shes been through and how to accept and embrace what shes got. It doesnt have to be approached in a negative way.......