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In reply to my recent post, Jim Hyland wrote: A former governor of Pennsylvania named Robert Casey (a strong pro-life advocate, by the way) had a heart transplant while he was serving as governor. That heart came from a man who had been murdered. The fact is plain and simple that this paticular transplant came from the body of a murder victim, and the murder of a fellow human being is undoubtedly a deplorable crime. However, unless Governor Casey was personally responsible for having the man murdered, or, unless the victim was murdered by someone else for the purpose of providing organs to be transplanted, would you have denied the governor access to the healthy heart that saved his life? Jim, that is a cogent argument. In answering your question, I would have to say that - No, I would not have denied him the healthy heart because the issue here is consent. This could not have been done unless a) the murder victim had signed an organ donor card or b) the appropriate consent was obtained (from durable power of attorney, spouse, parent, etc.) As far as I know, all medical facilities require written permission before obtaining organs or tissues. I believe that transplantation of tissue from an unborn baby should observe the same ethical norms as for organs or tissue from born persons. This would mean that one could not kill a baby (in or out of the womb) to get an organ. Also, that proper permission, from parents who have loved and offered proper care to keep the unborn baby alive and well, was given. However, if the mother has made the decision to have the baby's life terminated, she surrenders any moral right to give such permission. I came across an analogy that might make this point a little clearer. It would be appropriate for a wife who had loved and cared for her husband to assign the use of his body parts after he dies, but if the wife had shot and killed her husband, by that act she forfeited her moral right to make such a decision. Similarly, because the mother of an aborted baby had a part in taking the life of that child, she has no moral right to authorize transplantation of that baby's tissues. Please, please. . .do not misconstrue my intentions. I am not passing judgment or imposing my beliefs on anyone. I am merely sharing them because I believe in the sacredness of all life and am concerned with the disregard for life at all stages. Sincerely, Cathy Smith