Heart Donation Memo

This memorandum is to make the best Utilitarian decision for the heart transplant recipient that has just become available. Options that will be taken into account include age, accountability for taking care of the heart, reasons why the patient needs a new heart, and ultimately which patient will offer the most to the world because of this operation.
Ozzie is not a suitable choice to be the recipient of this heart that has become available. He has a heart condition that is due to the continued abuse and overdosing of crack cocaine. Ozzie has become involved with troubled teens at a local homework and tutoring hangout and has mentored the children. He has also signed a contract stating if he gets the transplant he will work at least another year at the homework and tutoring hangout. The issue with this candidate is that he is at high risk for damaging the heart after transplant. If he starts up using crack cocaine again he will quickly damage the new heart and die within months. The risk is too great with this candidate. This is including the fact that he is
helping out the community in offering his experience to young people. Jerry is a good choice to be the recipient of this heart that has become available.
Jerry is a father of 3 and a husband to his wife Joanie, who stays at home to take care of their children. Jerry is a middle-level manager at a carpet distributing business and is about to retire in a couple years. They have a 14 year old child that is mildly autistic and needs his parents. Jerry is also a good candidate for the heart because he has very high chances of living another 10-15 years with the new heart. He is not the best candidate because although he has dependents that need him it is his fault that his heart is failing because he took steroids when he was in his 20’s before the dangers of steroid use were fully known. If this were not a Utilitarian decision Jerry would be the one chosen for the transplant because he has a family that depends on him, and who knows what will happen to them if he passes
away. Lisa is the best utilitarian decision for the heart transplant. Although she 12 and her condition is not her fault the chances of her surviving into her 20’s are not good due to health issues such as viral infections and a lumpus-like immune deficiency. Her father who is Dr. Jonathan Doe an up and coming oncologist in the same hospital will be giving a $2 million donation to the hospital’s construction of specialized facilities if she can get a heart soon enough. This donation will allow for the hospital to be expanded and thus allow for more people to be taken care of in the hospital as well as providing more jobs for staff at the hospital. For that reason Lisa is the one who will be getting the heart.