WE WERE HOAXED
Along with everyone else, BioEdge has been hoaxed by a Dutch reality TV show. Last week we reported that a woman dying of a brain tumour would appear on TV to select a person who would receive her kidneys when she died. Shock & horror! Disgust & revulsion!
Well, even though this may have pushed the boundaries of media ethics, it was not a bioethical issue. It turns out that the woman was an actress – a secret kept under wraps until the moment when she was about to make her choice. “We are not giving away a kidney here.
That is going too far even for us,” said the show’s presenter. The producers said that they wanted to highlight an organ donor shortage in the Netherlands. Dutch Culture Minister hailed the show as a “fantastic stunt”.
Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.
Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
Queen Elizabeth II’s forgotten link to the euthanasia debate
The death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday has dominated headlines for the last few days. BioEdge's editor was searching...
Should transphobic patients be given a ‘red card’?
Doctors and medical schools are being provided with detailed guidelines for accommodating the needs of transgender and gender-diverse medical students....
UK could revise standards for infant brain death after Baby A experience
Never simple, brain death in UK babies is being reviewed after a 3-month-old baby was declared “brain dead” due to...
Scotland and Uruguay: will they legalise euthanasia?
Two more countries are debating whether to legalise euthanasia: Scotland and Uruguay. In Scotland a Liberal Democrat member of the...
Dark cloud over celebrity surgeon in New Hampshire
The award-winning Boston Globe Spotlight team of investigative reporters has targeted a New Hampshire cardiothoracic surgeon. In a series of...
When did Hollywood actress Anne Heche really die?
After a fiery car crash on August 5, Anne Heche, a Hollywood actress who starred in TV shows and films...