A start: Juntaro Ashikari of the Japan Organ Transplant Network faces reporters at the health ministry June 14 to explain the imminent organ transplants from a boy under age 6 who was declared brain dead earlier in the day. KYODO
Nearly two years have passed since the revised Organ Transplant Law took effect. The 2010 revision abolished the minimum age requirement for donors and has enabled surgeons to harvest organs from children declared brain dead. Previously, children aged under 15 were excluded from the donor pool.
On June 14, statutory brain death was declared on a boy under age 6 at Toyama University Hospital to pave the way for transplanting his organs. A stricter set of brain death criteria is imposed on donors under that age because their brains are more resilient and capable of recovering from injuries.
The Japan Organ Transplant Network and Toyama University Hospital said they made thorough preparations for anticipated transplant opportunities, including how to speak to the boy's family when he was in critical condition and working out a manual for checking whether a donor had been a victim of abuse.
Medical experts point out that there are not many hospitals sufficiently prepared to handle child donors and there is also the problem of how to interpret the wishes of children who may become donors.
On June 14, Juntaro Ashikari, an official of the transplant network, expressed hope for increased transplant opportunities from children after the announcement of the young donor's case. Speaking at a news conference, Ashikari said that "it will offer a ray of hope for those people who have registered their small children (on the waiting list)."
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