A Death Retold: Jesica Santillan, the Bungled Transplant, and Paradoxes of Medical Citizenship (Studies in Social Medicine) - Hardcover

Experts in history, sociology, medical ethics, communication, immigrations studies, transplant surgery, anthropology, and health law . . . provide a broad overview of some of the most interesting issues facing organ transplantation today. . . . A very worthwhile read.--American Journal of Transplantation Provides inspiration and insight . . . for those grappling with the paradoxes of organ transplants in other settings.--Medical History This cautionary tale is well worth reading. Recommended.--CHOICE Well worth reading. . . . Recommended.--CHOICE This valued text belongs on the reference shelves in the libraries of our colleges of medicine and nursing, as this text could serve as the primary reference for an entire semester ethics course.--Journal of the National Medical Association

In February 2003, an undocumented immigrant teen from Mexico lay dying in a prominent American hospital due to a stunning medical oversight - she had received a heart-lung transplantation of the wrong blood type. In the following weeks, Jesica Santillan's tragedy became a portal into the complexities of American medicine, prompting contentious debate about new patterns and old problems in immigration, the hidden epidemic of medical error, the lines separating transplant "haves" from "have-nots," the right to sue, and the challenges posed by "foreigners" crossing borders for medical care. This volume draws together experts in history, sociology, medical ethics, communication and immigration studies, transplant surgery, anthropology, and health law to understand the dramatic events, the major players, and the core issues at stake. Contributors view the Santillan story as a morality tale: about the conflicting values underpinning American health care; about the politics of transplant medicine; about how a nation debates deservedness, justice, and second chances; and about the global dilemmas of medical tourism and citizenship.