I hear it’s way cheaper and fast in China and all the other countries that force organ harvesting though. There’s almost always complications…infection, rejection, sluggish organs, and the anti rejection meds you require for life are very pricy and have many side effects!
As a nurse who has given blood transfusions many times, this simple error in blood typing amazes me! The hoops you have to jump through to get the blood into the patient are numerous with several people checking and double checking that unit of blood before you give it to your patient. It was beaten into us at University long before we graduated, to the point where before my first time transfusing a unit of blood I was scared to death. To think these people didn’t check blood type before the transplant at one of the best hospitals in the country is beyond belief! This poor family. That poor little girl. She did not die an easy death either. Just tragic.
Oh my gosh, me, too, @paulas2218!! They sure did ingrain that into our brains! Which also made me scared to death before that first transfusion. I guess it's good to be that "scared" each and every time so that we don't become lax at our jobs. Because the moment we become lax or bored, a patient might die!! Like, literally!! Gotta be on top of our game 100% of the time. I can't believe that these protocols were not in place at DUKE MEDICAL CENTER, for goodness sake. And especially for a DOUBLE TRANSPLANT!! 🙄
I had 2 blood transfusions last week for the first time ever after an unknown bleed . My iron was at 60 when it should be 140 so it was becoming critical . I'm RESUS A NEGATIVE and I literally asked 20 times if they had got my blood type right and what the blood was in the bag. After watching your videos I've become super paranoid that you can't always leave it in the hands of others .
@@vickythefist7062 I had to have 2 units of blood after a total knee replacement. The first time they tried to get me up after surgery I threw up and almost fainted. My pulse was super high and I was so weak. I had to stay an extra day because of it. But after I got the transfusions I felt sooo much better. It was amazing. I wasn’t thrilled to have to do it but I’m so glad I did.
Well, because Americans pay to LEGALLY enter a country with plans to return to the USA, not illegally sneak in and live under the radar as illegal immigrants
Jessica was a child. I don't care what country she was from. Legal or illegal does not change the fact that there were serious consequences to the neglect of the hospital.
@@tigertalks1567 I'm american that's legally here who will probably need a transplant and I don't give a single fuck how she got here or how legal she was, she deserved medical treatment. The fact she had to come here illegally to get it should be something that upsets you b/c it's unfair for HER, not Americans.
@@tigertalks1567If it is a life or death situation it absolutely doesn’t and shouldn’t matter where you are from. Plus this was a young person who had a full life ahead of her.
@@Jason-ie1pg the US does not have a responsibility to give Medical Care to criminals and their children. Stay mad it's the truth we have our own kids waiting for transplants
It frustrates me so much that the hospital wasn't sued. They killed a little girl and harmed at least 2 other people. They robbed her of the chance to get the right organs and live a long and happy life, destroyed perfectly healthy organs that could have saved someone else and their mistake caused other healthy organs which could save yet another person to be removed from the system. This is fucked up. Everyone makes mistakes and we should forgive them, but this was so easily preventable and had massive consequences. Hospitals only care about money, that's the way to make sure they don't mess up again.
@tigertalks1567 they still did wrong, so they could be sued no matter who is doing it. A serial killer could sue if they did the medical procedure wrong. For someone who talks so much about America and laws, you should don't know the basics
@@twoozyuzi2215 you're totally missing the point if they didn't come here illegally it would have never happened at all LOL that's like saying you go into rob a bank and you break your foot, and then sue the bank because you hurt your foot LOL
Just try going to Mexico & see if they will give you a free pair of donor lungs & a heart, if you're not a citizen. Unless *both nations* give non-citizens donor organs, it's not fair.
@@ProfoundConfusion way to miss the point entirely. if this family already had to travel to america to receive treatment, you really think that means mexico has the same access to healthcare? not to mention that ethnic backgrounds play a role in matching so yea you pretty much have to be…latino.. to get a match…shocking! but also at what point were the organs free? tell me where it was mentioned that they were free. because we all heard that the surgery cost half a million and was paid 80% on their own and 100% without taxpayer money. what’s not fair is your attitude. declaring the system isn’t fair when america is already the one’s with the advantage. you’re demanding more from a **nation** that has less than you. such an empath, you are.
@@LiterallyAllNamesAreTaken Americans also cannot go to countries with better systems and get free organs either. this is because healthcare systems in other developed countries prioritize citizens, otherwise their healthcare system would collapse given it's generous structure. America should take notes and follow other developed nations lead.
It is sickening that people blame an innocent family because doctors made such a blatant failure in care and neither this young girl nor her family were responsible for the failures of more than a few physicians. It disgusts me that people would say any of those things. No matter what you feel about immigration, nobody should die because they cannot receive proper care. Does not matter if they are citizens or non citizens of any specific country.Just vile and heartless to go after a family who suffered so much. Just awful! She deserved those organs just as much as anyone else. I don’t care where you come from, if you are reaching out for medical care, if you cannot receive that care where you live, then absolutely you should be able to travel to a country where you can receive that treatment. Such a sad case.
@@Hiphop618wtf are you babbling on about? Did you not read the comment in its entirety? They ANYONE should get the medical help needed. Shut all the way up.
@@Hiphop618 "i dont care where you come from, if you are reaching out for medical care, if you cannot receive that care where you live, then absolutely you should be able to travel to a country where you can receive that treatment" That definetly sounds like something you'd say, if you think only certain people should be allowed medical care 🥴
I’m the universal blood type O- and this has made me remember I NEED TO START DONATING MY BLOOD!!! I will as soon as I can. It’s so good to help others.
Before I was rolled into the OR for my double lung and liver transplant, I had my blood type checked every half an hour while waiting. It seems excessive at the time, but this is exactly why it’s important. Praying for this family. It’s SUCH a hard process!
Hi. I am so glad your transplants went well. Out of curiosity is your quality of life greatly improved? I wonder what Jessica's life would have been like had the error not occurred.
@@ladonnaramirez4467 Yes and no. A common misconception is that a transplant is a cure for all your medical problems. It’s not. It’s trading an issue for more issues. But it is a step up for sure!!
I don't think the second transplant was out of empathy or wanting to do right by her. It was more like we messed up, if this girl dies we're in trouble. But after almost 2 weeks was it really a viable option?
I also wouldn't be surprised if the "stealing" media coverage was encouraged by the hospital and/or the transplant agency in order to preempt the inevitable lawsuit form Mac.
@@maivaiva1412 actually malpractice happens all the time. it's not "weapons grade cynicism". it's very possible and plausible that that's what happened.
americans will utilize undocumented workers, deny them social services… then turn around and accuse them of “stealing” when they use their hard earned money, or in this case funds willingly donated. it’s disgusting how folks let their racism override critical thinking, they are evil. rest in peace Jesica, so clearly loved by a family who would bravely cross deserts for you, with you. you were so brave as well.
Terrible heartless people will do that. Not "americans". There are countless american based charities and support systems specifically for children who are from foreign countries and at a severe financial and geological disadvantage. Hell an american man was supporting Jessica's entire journey out of his own pocket. Yes there are awful people that were saying such hateful and bitter things about this sweet girl, but it's ridiculous to generalize an entire group of people based off of a *small* percentage of assholes.
@@erlenmeyer._flask yeah. obviously “not all americans”. i don’t really care to sit around and pat myself on the back and coddle others who are doing the right thing. obviously you could be a good american, i believe myself to be a good american along with so many others that put time, money, and care into helping others. but that doesn’t cancel out systematic issues in america. sometimes you gotta take a step back and realize issues are bigger than you and your personal feelings on them. separating yourself from our society is purely for your ego. in my opinion, cheers
I don’t know how this could have happened. Confirming the blood types of the donor and recipient should have been the first thing done. No excuse to say “I don’t know what the blood type is of the recipient”.
Yes I thought tissue typing has to be done as well as blood grouping, its really intensive work, its not as simple as height, weight and blood group, it is way, way more complicated than that, in transplants even close relatives, with the same blood group arent suitable to donate. This is horrendous.
@@memeju1ce For sure! I remember when I first discovered this channel. I respect anyone working hard for their content, but some people just go above and beyond and seem to be made for a specific niche. It's so nice to see someone find their calling.
This is such a travesty! I am so eternally grateful that my father was able to get a kidney transplant AND that all parties involved did their due diligence to make sure he (also type O) got the correct kidney. We put so much trust in doctors and the medical system and it's so upsetting when they fail.
It's great your father was able to get a kidney transplant. Hope all is well! I'd like to share my dad's experience with being put on a wait-list for a kidney transplant below, but I must warn you, it's very sad and very long. So it's okay if you don't end up reading it because it may be triggering to some. My dad wasn't as lucky, but it wasn't due to any malpractice or oversight, it was mainly due to the circumstances surrounding my parents. My parents were married for over 36 years, but most of their time together was a toxic mess (hence why my siblings and I were abused). He got really depressed around two years before he was notified that they found a donor. At that point, he was on the list since I was finishing middle school (I'm 23 now, and my dad was already dealing with Type 2 Diabetes). He was also facing a difficult financial situation, if he had done the kidney transplant, he would've been forced to go back to work and pay a mind numbing amount for continued care out of pocket. He was already 65 by then, he should've been able to retire if money wasn't the issue. But we were living along the poverty line at that point despite owning a house. Unfortunately, the most soul-crushing moment of his life at least after the death of his parents was when he was told he couldn't be operated on because he had been struggling with coronary arterial disease the whole time. He was in such poor health he was constantly on the brink of having a heart attack, I remember a moment when he couldn't take more than 3 steps out of the car until he sat on the curb in the Walmart parking lot and he threw up and started taking slow deep breaths while looking out of it. It was scary, but at the time I didn't even know his heart was failing, although I suspected he was having a stroke, but nothing more came out of it because he refused to get it checked out. Back to the day he was told the bad news that after 7 years of being on a wait-list, he would not be able to undergo the surgery on time, and also dealing with the news that he was basically on the brink of dying at any moment, and my mom didn't even know until a nurse walked up to her and told her he needed to stay for observation. He went ahead with an urgent open heart surgery after a few weeks of taking medications to stabilize him beforehand. Then after surgery, you could tell he was just not the same anymore. After all that plus a risky surgery? Of course he would be exhausted and defeated. He would be sent back down the priority list for who knows how long. How would he know if he could even last that long? In the end, he ended up passing away alone at home in September 2022, my mom was heading back from a trip from my sister's house 4 hours away, and didn't bother texting or calling him in the morning. She had her own issues she never bothered to sort out in a healthy manner, and she had gotten in a heavy argument with him before she left for my sister's house for a full week. They found him the same afternoon after he passed. Nobody knows exactly what he died of because he never got an autopsy performed. His funeral only uncanned more trauma because my mom and everyone else including his family couldn't get along and avoided her because she's too problematic. Now she's still grieving hard, understandably so, that was the only man she ever knew. However, her grief still is followed by her excusing his abusive behavior while simultaneously talking shit about him, while also crying any time she thinks of him which is frequently. At the very least, although she's still grieving, she's at least starting to become a little more independent albeit still exhibiting her usual narcissistic behavior. I was in college that year, I was a senior and I had already struggled with a bad episode of depression in the last few months. This experience only sent me spiraling for several months to the point that my graduation was delayed by 8 months (this year January). I initially thought I would've been able to pull myself together for my last year there and I was trying to hype myself up so I wouldn't mess up my academic performance like I did the year before. Although I expected my dad was too sick to live for another 3 years, I was hoping he would make it to my graduation as his youngest child, and the third one to have completed an undergrad education. I thought it would be one last positive note for him, but unfortunately he was not physically strong enough or had enough of a psychological support system to stay around until then. I thought about calling him several times in the few months before his death because I had a feeling. Unfortunately, my regret was that I never got to talk to him again because I didn't want him to get in trouble with my mom because she was being really controlling and she hated when we would call him before her. He was confined to live with her because he had to do dialysis every night at home, and he was generally an unpleasant person to live with as well. My mom was codependent, and she strongly believed he betrayed her again and wouldn't stop accusing, interrogating, and instigating arguments. I felt bad for him, but nobody knew what to do since they were both just so fucked up that we all just couldn't maintain a close relationship to our parents. My dad was not a good person (he did horrible things to my mom when they had their first two children), but he wasn't the worst person either. It's tough feeling like maybe he could've become more involved with us as adults if he was able to finally accept help for his depression, and recover from his heart surgery until he finally got a kidney. It's hard yearning for the moments I wish he had with us as a dad because he wasn't allowed to be fully involved thanks to my mom. I wonder if he was able to get a kidney, would he had finally left my mom for good in order to heal? It would be unlikely knowing him, but it will forever be speculation, since he's gone now. There's so many mixed feelings and so much trauma that it's hard trying to find a balance between being aware about the horrible things he did, but also acknowledging that he tried what he could to be involved, but gave up because my mom wouldn't stop being a control freak and keeping us away from him. I apologize for the long read, but I hope that there's anything positive you could take from it, I dunno. It's mostly just tragic, but reading your post just gave me the feeling to share a relevant, yet drastically different story from yours. Thank you for reading.
A incredible story but so sad that Jessica died due to a medical mistake. The family struggled to get her the help she desperately needed yet all they endured ended so tragically!!
As my English teacher said, "Don't assume or you'll make an ASS out of U and ME." Don't assume people communicated effectively. Don't assume someone did their job right. Don't assume anything, especially if someone's life is at stake.
Thank you for covering this story. I commented on one of your videos about it a while ago, as there doesn't seem to be much RUclips coverage about her. Thank you for telling Jesica's story in such a respectful way
This situation will forever hurt me. It hurts my aunt as well. She has since retired. My aunt was a nurse at Duke University Medical Hospital at the time this happened. She was a pediatric cardiology nurse. She had served Duke Hospital for several years. So did my mom and my other aunt. During the time this happened, they were all on a leave of absence because my uncle suddenly passed away. Which was a very traumatic situation. My aunt often says that if she was working that day, this wouldn't have happened. This situation truly bothered her. Jesica Santillan will never be forgotten by my family. Rip. ❤
Im so disgusted the way people talk about humans. Like even if she wasnt sick, she was a child and a human who deserves respect. My heart breaks for their family, i cant imagine the damage xenophobia and racism does, and that ish is on top of them losing their child.
This poor family and Jesica went thru so much trouble and got this?! I know no one did this on purpose (apart from the press, later), but this made me mad anyway. More deserving Americans? Oh, please. I’ll go and cry a little, for Jesica and for humanity.
America will never “be great” because people are jerks. Everyone has a mindset that someone else having resources directly correlates to them not. Meanwhile billionaires get richer and the middle class is decimated. One poor dying girl having an awful tragedy happen to her and her family does not take away from the dying children in these states. Jessica deserved better. I feel so awful and sick to my stomach for the way they portrayed them as if their child dying wouldn’t cause them to do everything in their power to save them. Rest In Peace sweet child. Much love to the family.
Your initial sentence is accurate social commentary. Every policy decision, in private sector and at every level of government, is viewed (and skewed) through the lens of "how does this benefit ME". If it doesn't directly help one "side" of a polarized America, a propaganda machine will try to convince their 'side' that if they are not directly helped, that means they are harmed by the other "side" getting some benefit. The US is in a constant state of political civil war.
As someone that has received a tissue transplant (meniscal and Cartlidge) for my knee and knowing how many tests were ran on me to make sure they could find a suitable donor… I must say watching this will give me nightmares because this is what nightmares are made of for someone that needs a transplant whether it is organ or tissue. 😔
Love your channel. You are so thorough and insightful. I worked as an ICU nurse for my first 25 years of nursing and sadly lost patients whom we ended up taking care of their bodies until transplant testing was done. I love all your facts before, during, and after. Wonderful job. I have now been working in hospice for the past 10 years. Thanks for your very accurate and informative videos.
The weirdest thing related to transplants was the morning I used an ambu bag to keep someone alive (I'm a Respiratory Therapist and worked for a temp agency) and the following day I took care of three people who received the original lady's organs. Talk about wild!
One minute in to this video I literally gasped. The shock I felt when I hear that after everything Jessica's family went through to get the desperately needed surgery, the hospital made such a devastating mistake. And after all that, it took tweleve years to even learn what had actually happened. My heart breaks for her family. That desert crossing kills migrants every year. Everything they went through was so hard. All to try to save their child. ❤ You tell these real stories about real people that really move me, thank you. You put a human face on them. ❤
This poor, poor family. They sacrificed so much and they suffered so, so much. I cant believe what the nation and the doctors did to them. I really wished that the world was a better place, besides mack and her family
The fact that a non doctor mentioned that jessicas organs arent viable for donation due to massive amount of drugs, speaks volumes about the doctors at duke. Even if its not really a factor in organ donation, im glad he stood up for that family and the girls life
As a Medical Laboratory Technologist, I'm shocked! I graduated almost 50 years ago, and although I never worked in Immunohematology (blood banking), I did have a training rotation and wrote a national exam. Even at that time, numerous checks were made at every step, to ensure the correct blood was given, and testing was correctly done. Each step of the process required initials and matching documentation. Duke U is a world known and renowned institution. This just seems so reckless and amateur. Truly a stunning and heartbreaking mistake.
I work on an organ transplant unit and can tell you that we cross blood and the organs several times before the surgery. This case is more rare than people think.
I haven't finished the video yet, but... you have a new subscriber! My husband received a kidney transplant at MUSC in SC on November 8, 2022! That kidney transplant was life changing for our family! We received 3 phone calls the night/morning of his transplant. MUSC checked everything multiple times, beginning with blood type. They checked my husband by taking 11 tubes of blood even though I had already driven almost 2 hours in the middle of the night to get that kidney. The hospital should have done more, though. Duke 's reputation far exceeds this tragedy. I'm sure policies have changed or should have by now at Duke. I'm a proud organ donor. I'm thankful every day for the 34 year old male whose kidney my husband received. May he rest in peace.
I’m glad to know Mack passed on, because I was worried 7 years from now he’d be championing his name in a rebuttal to Petal. This was a tough story from start to finish. Well done as usual, Petal. I thank you for all the hard work you put in each video. You never disappoint and I can’t even think of constructive criticism to help you improve. You do everything so perfect to my liking.
I basically grew up in a children's specialty hospital and was around kids who needed transplants, had severe burns, loss of limbs, had cancer, etc. It is limitless what a loving parent will do for the child - what they will give up, what border they will cross. Until it's your child...you'll never know. It's heartbreaking that anyone would act like a child didn't deserve a chance because of how she got here. She wasn't some evil serial killer or cartel member bringing in drugs...she was a CHILD in DESPERATE need of help! If they're angry that organs were wasted, be angry at the people at fault for the mix up. Those who, because of their mistake, wasted several organs and killed Jessica & someone who could have used the original organs.
I must confess, it's been awhile since I have watched any of your content due to stuff going on in my life recently. Upon coming back here this is the first video I have watched and while I was watching I checked out your channel to see what I'm going to binge and I noticed your subscriber count has shot up tremendously and I couldn't be happier for you!!!! So glad people are finding their way to your channel as you're a phenomenal person and content creator and you absolutely deserve it!! Congratulations to you on everything and keep up the great work!!
As a lab tech I can say the amount of clerical checks done from donation to transfusion you couldn’t count on the fingers of both hands. CBS tests the blood when they collect it, the hospital lab checks the blood unit when they get it, the hospital lab checks the patient’s blood when the MLA’s collect it - twice by two different techs - the tech and nurse check the unit blood type against the patient blood type together when hanging off and the nurses check the unit blood type before transfusing. A discrepancy given a missing zero at the beginning of a patients hospital number is grounds for rejection.
I had a friend that went out of her way to help a family. Afterwards she was asked about her motivation and even investigated. There was no wrong doing but her reputation was tarnished. This may or may not be the case here but it makes you think twice about getting involved. There is a reason they say “No good deed goes unpunished “.
I just want to say the way you talk and narrate the story is immaculate, so respectful and easy to understand for non-speakers. You should get more attention
I'm only a few minutes in but as soon as you mentioned NC I knew where this was going. I used to work for Duke in research and I can attest there's a lot of shady shit going on behind the scenes on the university side.
It's hard to believe that Jessica died due to, basically, a clerical error. When i had my hip replacement, my surgeon came to visit me in pre-op and signed my leg with his pen to make sure the OR team prepped the correct side. Poor Jessica. 😢
Not surprised that Mack ended up being racist and controlling, especially with how he was pushing the family to sue after they just lost their daughter! No empathy, just a self centered, grandiose mentality
This is reminding me as somebody with O - to go donate blood. I'll even deal with the kinda annoying phone calls from donation centers if it means saving a life 😅
This makes me want to cry. Most of my family are immigrants from Mexico or still live there and its so sick the racism people get for just wanting to live. It makes me want scream.
I’m with you! I find the xenophobia and racism hypocritical and disgusting because the majority of white Americans have ancestors that IMMIGRATED to the US, they use nativist rhetoric to feel superior to their fellow human beings than having Empathy!
Just found your channel and after years of watching true crime, I have never found a channel like yours really love the medical side and the way you explained everything was amazing! Can’t wait to watch more of your videos ❤️
Another great episode and another terrifying tragedy that could've been so easily avoided. I'm amazed the database that is supposed to match the organs and donor didn't produce some sort of error due to the blood type incompatibility. Not that it also shouldn't be checked by doctors as a redundancy, but you'd think it wouldn't ever have offered up her name as a viable candidate if the database systems were working well. But separately, I also just wanted to say that that is one hell of a cute sweater you are wearing. It looks very good on you and extremely comfy.
thank you for sharing. the journey and hardships Jesica and her family endured … only to end with negligence that could’ve been avoided. and even after being demonized and accused of stealing resources while some guy tried to profit off your tragedy. it’s so heartbreaking.
You tell sensitive stories with so much compassion and holistically, you cover all perspectives and layers. Amazing job. You do right by the subjects of these videos ❤
I just had surgery a week ago. My team asked several questions before even wheeling me back to the OR. They took 3 vials of blood and made sure those results came back before they even got started, then asked me the same questions again as they were taking me down the hall for the operation. Jessica's team failed not only her, but her family as well.
There is so much thought provoking information in this case. Regardless, this young girl did deserve treatment. She was failed by a medical mistake that is surprisingly avoidable. So any naysayer disparaging this family doing what any loving parents would do in their shoes; shame on them. Such a sad outcome . Just heartbreaking.
I work in the blood bank and this makes me so mad that they did not verify the blood type. Thank you for sharing this story because it is a good example to show nurses and doctors who get frustrated with us in the Blood Bank for requiring double checks of blood types with the nurse before even handing them the units.
Until you have a close love one who is in dire need of an organ transplant (such as my mom), you wouldn't understand the stress and anticipation of that person being on a transplant list. Never knowing when or even “if” that person will receive an organ. Also, it’s difficult to watch a family member go through dialysis treatment. My mother was on Emory University’s waiting list for about 5 years. Thankfully, a friend told her about UAB’s waitlist. She was able to receive a kidney transplant from UAB after being on their waitlist for only one year; and even then she had so many complications following, and a plethora of medications that she had to remember to take. It was as if it was always something new going on with her body. My mom received her transplant in 2018 and died due lung cancer in 2023; about a month after receiving her first chemo treatment. Again, you never know until you’ve experienced it.
Will you please do a video about the poor baby who got decapitated during her birth? They delivered the head with force, waited for like four hours, then did a c-section for the rest of her little body. Then the hospital covered it up. It's heartbreaking. I never knew this could even happen. 😢
What a huge mess! You'd think the doctor picking up the organs and the surgery team would have ensured they had a correct match. I smell a Narcissist in Mack. Many times they'll do something altruistic for the supply of notoriety. And milk it for all they can get.....a charity being the perfect avenue. Sadly Jessica's family were at the mercy of many sharks. When you're down, life kicks you the hardest.
Im a kidney transplant paitent, and its so sad that this happened to this girl, especially qith her being so young too. R.I. P. to Jessica. I would also like to add that i appreciate all the research that you put into the organ transplant process. Very well done 🖤
It will forever upset me that people focus on the citizenship of the family rather than the facts: this girl was sick and due to the mistakes of many many professionals, she had suffered an early death. Regardless of where someone is from, the doctors failed Jesica and her family. You did such a good job of providing the facts and evidence and the amount of respect you have for the victims is commendable.
This video was so well put together, and your voice so soothing to listen to! I’m absolutely appalled by people who could dare to suggest that one person deserves an organ transplant more than another just based on something ridiculous like where they’re from. As a person who proudly checks the box for organ donation, I would be happy if in my death they were able to help any single person, no matter what circumstance. I’m excited to have a new channel to follow. I didn’t quite realize how interesting medical malpractice type of videos could be, and now I have a channel full of other interesting videos I can give a watch.
rest in peace warrior disabled child. this could have gone so differently, and it should have. I hope the family has been able to process and grow from the trauma of this medical malpractice.
You raised an interesting point... so would US citizens reject organs from illegal immigrants or non citizens?? Based on the uproar over this child getting organs, I would like to think that the same people would not accept these organs on moral grounds. The reality is that they paid for their medical bills and were not dependent on public funds for the procedures.
Certain areas of the world have diseases but yeah, folks wouldn't take transfusions from people of color in the past. We've not progressed much because media would rather have us fighting each other than the people who really keep us poor.
you did a really good job of explaining all the relevant information in this video. My mother in law had a liver and kidney transplant so I thought I knew all about the procedure, but I learned a lot in this video. Thank you for not only sharing this tragic story with us, but also telling it in such a way that we could learn more about *how* it happened.,
Poor girl and family, they deserved better. Altho everyone finger pointed, at the end of the day its the responsibility of the doctor to do BASIC checks before putting organs into a body. Ie; is it the right organ for the right bofdy. This is up there with amputating wrong limbs, resulting in a double amputation. John Oliver has called oout these organ agencies - and IMHO they need to be held more accountable, given theyre the ones basicallly trading in body parts. These are lives, not computer equipment.
I just want to say, I’m not even 10 min into this, but you have a beautiful voice, and you do a great job telling the story. You’re very calming to listen to. ♥️
Excellent video, as always, Petal! Jesica’s story gives me a lot to think about regarding our medical system. I’m glad to hear that UNOS improved their standards after her death, but I still worry overall about the US healthcare system being able to provide adequate care to everyone living here (whether they’re citizens or not). In my opinion, it seems like the healthcare system overall has only gotten worse
So sad, thanks for telling us her story! 😢 I enjoy your channel, the cases you pick and your respectful, down to earth story telling. If you ever need a hand with any of the more complex medical cases, understanding specialized equipment, deciphering medical records, standards of care, etc I’m always happy to help!!! 😁 You’re doing great!
This story reminds me so much of a lady that my mom met when I was hospitalized who was from Guatemala. her son had leukemia and they couldn’t do anything about it over there in Mexico so she decided to cross the border with him, sell her house and do everything she possibly good to try to get him some help. she fought until the very last moment and he passed away. I hope that they’re at peace now.
Thank you for sharing this, sad Jessica died😢. The hospital knew Jessica died because of their blunder. Her parents did their best to get her treatment. Thank to the man who also helped the family❤
In my country, the most prestigious hospitals mostly cater to American and Canadian patients. They come in droves for cheaper healthcare all the time. Yet somehow if the opposite were to happen, THEY get mad at us.
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honestly how dare people accuse a dead child of stealing organs to try to live.
😔RIP BABYGIRL 🕊️💝🙌🏾🙏🏽
Because she’s not a citizen… and they wasted two sets on her.
@@Adam-326 who cares where she’s from?
@@ilikepointlessinternetargument A lot of people, obviously. It’s not important where she’s from, but rather, where she’s *not* from.
@@Adam-326 wait didn’t her parents literally spend money on the transplant? 😀
absolutely disgusting that her surgery cost $500,000. I'm appalled. genuinely. we live in a society fr
I hear it’s way cheaper and fast in China and all the other countries that force organ harvesting though. There’s almost always complications…infection, rejection, sluggish organs, and the anti rejection meds you require for life are very pricy and have many side effects!
And they failed the first step of confirming the blood type was correct. Jfc. Sue them to the ground.
We live in a society? Lool yes we do.
She was a child
@@StarryNightt.for real
As a nurse who has given blood transfusions many times, this simple error in blood typing amazes me! The hoops you have to jump through to get the blood into the patient are numerous with several people checking and double checking that unit of blood before you give it to your patient. It was beaten into us at University long before we graduated, to the point where before my first time transfusing a unit of blood I was scared to death. To think these people didn’t check blood type before the transplant at one of the best hospitals in the country is beyond belief! This poor family. That poor little girl. She did not die an easy death either. Just tragic.
Oh my gosh, me, too, @paulas2218!!
They sure did ingrain that into our brains! Which also made me scared to death before that first transfusion. I guess it's good to be that "scared" each and every time so that we don't become lax at our jobs. Because the moment we become lax or bored, a patient might die!! Like, literally!! Gotta be on top of our game 100% of the time. I can't believe that these protocols were not in place at DUKE MEDICAL CENTER, for goodness sake. And especially for a DOUBLE TRANSPLANT!! 🙄
I had 2 blood transfusions last week for the first time ever after an unknown bleed . My iron was at 60 when it should be 140 so it was becoming critical .
I'm RESUS A NEGATIVE and I literally asked 20 times if they had got my blood type right and what the blood was in the bag. After watching your videos I've become super paranoid that you can't always leave it in the hands of others .
@@vickythefist7062 I've seriously considered getting my blood type tattooed on me.
Doctors should have to go through the same process to transplant organs as we do to transfuse blood products. They are not above making errors
@@vickythefist7062 I had to have 2 units of blood after a total knee replacement. The first time they tried to get me up after surgery I threw up and almost fainted. My pulse was super high and I was so weak. I had to stay an extra day because of it. But after I got the transfusions I felt sooo much better. It was amazing. I wasn’t thrilled to have to do it but I’m so glad I did.
Why is it okay for Americans to go to other countries to get cheaper medical treatment/supplies but others can’t come to America to medical care???
This is one of those sad "it's cool if your rich, trashy if your poor" things. It's a terrible double standard
Well, because Americans pay to LEGALLY enter a country with plans to return to the USA, not illegally sneak in and live under the radar as illegal immigrants
Because those other countries allow it?
@@Jaykun09and so do we in the US. It’s allowed to come here for treatment even as a foreigner.
@@QueAwkwardNoiseslegally allowed, socially is a different story unfortunately.
“Help me Mack I’m dying” is the saddest thing ever
and the fact that he was such a creeppp 😭
@@emptysekai really?
@@panickbee wdym? bro did u even watch the video?
@@sharanyallama I couldn't finish cause i had to work 😭😭
Jessica was a child. I don't care what country she was from. Legal or illegal does not change the fact that there were serious consequences to the neglect of the hospital.
It does matter it's taking away from Americans that actually are here legally so yes it does matter
@@tigertalks1567 I'm american that's legally here who will probably need a transplant and I don't give a single fuck how she got here or how legal she was, she deserved medical treatment. The fact she had to come here illegally to get it should be something that upsets you b/c it's unfair for HER, not Americans.
@@tigertalks1567If it is a life or death situation it absolutely doesn’t and shouldn’t matter where you are from. Plus this was a young person who had a full life ahead of her.
@@Jason-ie1pg the US does not have a responsibility to give Medical Care to criminals and their children. Stay mad it's the truth we have our own kids waiting for transplants
@@Jason-ie1pgamen to that👏🏾👏🏾
It frustrates me so much that the hospital wasn't sued. They killed a little girl and harmed at least 2 other people. They robbed her of the chance to get the right organs and live a long and happy life, destroyed perfectly healthy organs that could have saved someone else and their mistake caused other healthy organs which could save yet another person to be removed from the system. This is fucked up.
Everyone makes mistakes and we should forgive them, but this was so easily preventable and had massive consequences. Hospitals only care about money, that's the way to make sure they don't mess up again.
Im not sure if it was really a mistake, it seems like Duke and everyone else just couldn't be bothered to properly follow the procedure
Lol they have zero right to sue they came into our country stealing organs from americans. Accidents happen oh well
@@ChooaBunny not sure you can sue being illegal and being a criminal
@tigertalks1567 they still did wrong, so they could be sued no matter who is doing it. A serial killer could sue if they did the medical procedure wrong. For someone who talks so much about America and laws, you should don't know the basics
@@twoozyuzi2215 you're totally missing the point if they didn't come here illegally it would have never happened at all LOL that's like saying you go into rob a bank and you break your foot, and then sue the bank because you hurt your foot LOL
The fact Mack’s own son died from a medical mishap, then for it to basically happen again is just… there are no words
i can’t imagine thinking just because someone happened to be born somewhere else, they don’t deserve the same treatment
Just try going to Mexico & see if they will give you a free pair of donor lungs & a heart, if you're not a citizen. Unless *both nations* give non-citizens donor organs, it's not fair.
@@ProfoundConfusion way to miss the point entirely. if this family already had to travel to america to receive treatment, you really think that means mexico has the same access to healthcare? not to mention that ethnic backgrounds play a role in matching so yea you pretty much have to be…latino.. to get a match…shocking! but also at what point were the organs free? tell me where it was mentioned that they were free. because we all heard that the surgery cost half a million and was paid 80% on their own and 100% without taxpayer money. what’s not fair is your attitude. declaring the system isn’t fair when america is already the one’s with the advantage. you’re demanding more from a **nation** that has less than you. such an empath, you are.
@@ProfoundConfusion she didn’t get a free pair of organs, watch the video at least and then spread your bs
@@ProfoundConfusiontell me you watch Fox News without saying so
@@LiterallyAllNamesAreTaken Americans also cannot go to countries with better systems and get free organs either. this is because healthcare systems in other developed countries prioritize citizens, otherwise their healthcare system would collapse given it's generous structure. America should take notes and follow other developed nations lead.
It is sickening that people blame an innocent family because doctors made such a blatant failure in care and neither this young girl nor her family were responsible for the failures of more than a few physicians. It disgusts me that people would say any of those things. No matter what you feel about immigration, nobody should die because they cannot receive proper care. Does not matter if they are citizens or non citizens of any specific country.Just vile and heartless to go after a family who suffered so much. Just awful! She deserved those organs just as much as anyone else. I don’t care where you come from, if you are reaching out for medical care, if you cannot receive that care where you live, then absolutely you should be able to travel to a country where you can receive that treatment. Such a sad case.
You sound like someone who believes that certain people would NOT deserve medical care if they held different political beliefs than you.
@@Hiphop618wtf are you babbling on about? Did you not read the comment in its entirety? They ANYONE should get the medical help needed. Shut all the way up.
@@Hiphop618care to elaborate? I’m not at all picking up that vibe
@@Hiphop618 "i dont care where you come from, if you are reaching out for medical care, if you cannot receive that care where you live, then absolutely you should be able to travel to a country where you can receive that treatment"
That definetly sounds like something you'd say, if you think only certain people should be allowed medical care 🥴
@@kristelbrok998 That is not the vibe at all.
I’m the universal blood type O- and this has made me remember I NEED TO START DONATING MY BLOOD!!! I will as soon as I can. It’s so good to help others.
yes! thank you. we are always in need of Oneg
I’m O neg and have donated twice. I have my next one booked for next week. I hope, since this comment, you have been able to donate.
Before I was rolled into the OR for my double lung and liver transplant, I had my blood type checked every half an hour while waiting. It seems excessive at the time, but this is exactly why it’s important. Praying for this family. It’s SUCH a hard process!
Hi. I am so glad your transplants went well. Out of curiosity is your quality of life greatly improved? I wonder what Jessica's life would have been like had the error not occurred.
@@ladonnaramirez4467 Yes and no. A common misconception is that a transplant is a cure for all your medical problems. It’s not. It’s trading an issue for more issues. But it is a step up for sure!!
Wow as a CLS I am reminded of why we have so many checks in our system and flow. This case is truly disheartening, RIP Jessica. You deserved better.
I don't think the second transplant was out of empathy or wanting to do right by her. It was more like we messed up, if this girl dies we're in trouble. But after almost 2 weeks was it really a viable option?
I also wouldn't be surprised if the "stealing" media coverage was encouraged by the hospital and/or the transplant agency in order to preempt the inevitable lawsuit form Mac.
That is some weapons-grade cynicism right there. Ew.
@@maivaiva1412 actually malpractice happens all the time. it's not "weapons grade cynicism". it's very possible and plausible that that's what happened.
@@claireharvey8304 yes, malpractice. Not malicious practice. It takes actual malice to knowingly, actively let a child die because of your fuckup.
@@maivaiva1412 naive
americans will utilize undocumented workers, deny them social services… then turn around and accuse them of “stealing” when they use their hard earned money, or in this case funds willingly donated. it’s disgusting how folks let their racism override critical thinking, they are evil.
rest in peace Jesica, so clearly loved by a family who would bravely cross deserts for you, with you. you were so brave as well.
Terrible heartless people will do that. Not "americans". There are countless american based charities and support systems specifically for children who are from foreign countries and at a severe financial and geological disadvantage. Hell an american man was supporting Jessica's entire journey out of his own pocket. Yes there are awful people that were saying such hateful and bitter things about this sweet girl, but it's ridiculous to generalize an entire group of people based off of a *small* percentage of assholes.
@@erlenmeyer._flask yeah. obviously “not all americans”.
i don’t really care to sit around and pat myself on the back and coddle others who are doing the right thing.
obviously you could be a good american, i believe myself to be a good american along with so many others that put time, money, and care into helping others.
but that doesn’t cancel out systematic issues in america.
sometimes you gotta take a step back and realize issues are bigger than you and your personal feelings on them. separating yourself from our society is purely for your ego.
in my opinion, cheers
I don’t know how this could have happened. Confirming the blood types of the donor and recipient should have been the first thing done. No excuse to say “I don’t know what the blood type is of the recipient”.
Did nobody have a phone?
That error made it seem like this happened in 1903, instead of 2003!
Yes I thought tissue typing has to be done as well as blood grouping, its really intensive work, its not as simple as height, weight and blood group, it is way, way more complicated than that, in transplants even close relatives, with the same blood group arent suitable to donate. This is horrendous.
You never miss, Petal Palmer! No one is doing it like you!
Agreed! She has created something unique here in a time when unique is too saturated to count. Well researched and presented as well.
@@JadedBelleso respectful too!
@@memeju1ce For sure! I remember when I first discovered this channel. I respect anyone working hard for their content, but some people just go above and beyond and seem to be made for a specific niche. It's so nice to see someone find their calling.
This is beyond horrifying!!! There were so many people along the way that could have double checked this. Just wow!!!
This is such a travesty! I am so eternally grateful that my father was able to get a kidney transplant AND that all parties involved did their due diligence to make sure he (also type O) got the correct kidney. We put so much trust in doctors and the medical system and it's so upsetting when they fail.
I'm thankful for my husband's kidney transplant as well. He's also O+.
The best thing any of us can do is learn basic anatomy and physiology. It's really not rocket science.
It's great your father was able to get a kidney transplant. Hope all is well!
I'd like to share my dad's experience with being put on a wait-list for a kidney transplant below, but I must warn you, it's very sad and very long. So it's okay if you don't end up reading it because it may be triggering to some.
My dad wasn't as lucky, but it wasn't due to any malpractice or oversight, it was mainly due to the circumstances surrounding my parents. My parents were married for over 36 years, but most of their time together was a toxic mess (hence why my siblings and I were abused). He got really depressed around two years before he was notified that they found a donor. At that point, he was on the list since I was finishing middle school (I'm 23 now, and my dad was already dealing with Type 2 Diabetes). He was also facing a difficult financial situation, if he had done the kidney transplant, he would've been forced to go back to work and pay a mind numbing amount for continued care out of pocket. He was already 65 by then, he should've been able to retire if money wasn't the issue. But we were living along the poverty line at that point despite owning a house.
Unfortunately, the most soul-crushing moment of his life at least after the death of his parents was when he was told he couldn't be operated on because he had been struggling with coronary arterial disease the whole time. He was in such poor health he was constantly on the brink of having a heart attack, I remember a moment when he couldn't take more than 3 steps out of the car until he sat on the curb in the Walmart parking lot and he threw up and started taking slow deep breaths while looking out of it. It was scary, but at the time I didn't even know his heart was failing, although I suspected he was having a stroke, but nothing more came out of it because he refused to get it checked out.
Back to the day he was told the bad news that after 7 years of being on a wait-list, he would not be able to undergo the surgery on time, and also dealing with the news that he was basically on the brink of dying at any moment, and my mom didn't even know until a nurse walked up to her and told her he needed to stay for observation. He went ahead with an urgent open heart surgery after a few weeks of taking medications to stabilize him beforehand. Then after surgery, you could tell he was just not the same anymore. After all that plus a risky surgery? Of course he would be exhausted and defeated. He would be sent back down the priority list for who knows how long. How would he know if he could even last that long? In the end, he ended up passing away alone at home in September 2022, my mom was heading back from a trip from my sister's house 4 hours away, and didn't bother texting or calling him in the morning. She had her own issues she never bothered to sort out in a healthy manner, and she had gotten in a heavy argument with him before she left for my sister's house for a full week. They found him the same afternoon after he passed. Nobody knows exactly what he died of because he never got an autopsy performed. His funeral only uncanned more trauma because my mom and everyone else including his family couldn't get along and avoided her because she's too problematic. Now she's still grieving hard, understandably so, that was the only man she ever knew. However, her grief still is followed by her excusing his abusive behavior while simultaneously talking shit about him, while also crying any time she thinks of him which is frequently. At the very least, although she's still grieving, she's at least starting to become a little more independent albeit still exhibiting her usual narcissistic behavior.
I was in college that year, I was a senior and I had already struggled with a bad episode of depression in the last few months. This experience only sent me spiraling for several months to the point that my graduation was delayed by 8 months (this year January). I initially thought I would've been able to pull myself together for my last year there and I was trying to hype myself up so I wouldn't mess up my academic performance like I did the year before. Although I expected my dad was too sick to live for another 3 years, I was hoping he would make it to my graduation as his youngest child, and the third one to have completed an undergrad education. I thought it would be one last positive note for him, but unfortunately he was not physically strong enough or had enough of a psychological support system to stay around until then. I thought about calling him several times in the few months before his death because I had a feeling. Unfortunately, my regret was that I never got to talk to him again because I didn't want him to get in trouble with my mom because she was being really controlling and she hated when we would call him before her.
He was confined to live with her because he had to do dialysis every night at home, and he was generally an unpleasant person to live with as well. My mom was codependent, and she strongly believed he betrayed her again and wouldn't stop accusing, interrogating, and instigating arguments. I felt bad for him, but nobody knew what to do since they were both just so fucked up that we all just couldn't maintain a close relationship to our parents. My dad was not a good person (he did horrible things to my mom when they had their first two children), but he wasn't the worst person either.
It's tough feeling like maybe he could've become more involved with us as adults if he was able to finally accept help for his depression, and recover from his heart surgery until he finally got a kidney. It's hard yearning for the moments I wish he had with us as a dad because he wasn't allowed to be fully involved thanks to my mom. I wonder if he was able to get a kidney, would he had finally left my mom for good in order to heal? It would be unlikely knowing him, but it will forever be speculation, since he's gone now. There's so many mixed feelings and so much trauma that it's hard trying to find a balance between being aware about the horrible things he did, but also acknowledging that he tried what he could to be involved, but gave up because my mom wouldn't stop being a control freak and keeping us away from him.
I apologize for the long read, but I hope that there's anything positive you could take from it, I dunno. It's mostly just tragic, but reading your post just gave me the feeling to share a relevant, yet drastically different story from yours. Thank you for reading.
A incredible story but so sad that Jessica died due to a medical mistake. The family struggled to get her the help she desperately needed yet all they endured ended so tragically!!
As my English teacher said, "Don't assume or you'll make an ASS out of U and ME." Don't assume people communicated effectively. Don't assume someone did their job right. Don't assume anything, especially if someone's life is at stake.
Thank you for covering this story. I commented on one of your videos about it a while ago, as there doesn't seem to be much RUclips coverage about her. Thank you for telling Jesica's story in such a respectful way
This situation will forever hurt me. It hurts my aunt as well. She has since retired. My aunt was a nurse at Duke University Medical Hospital at the time this happened. She was a pediatric cardiology nurse. She had served Duke Hospital for several years. So did my mom and my other aunt. During the time this happened, they were all on a leave of absence because my uncle suddenly passed away. Which was a very traumatic situation. My aunt often says that if she was working that day, this wouldn't have happened. This situation truly bothered her. Jesica Santillan will never be forgotten by my family. Rip. ❤
Im so disgusted the way people talk about humans. Like even if she wasnt sick, she was a child and a human who deserves respect. My heart breaks for their family, i cant imagine the damage xenophobia and racism does, and that ish is on top of them losing their child.
This poor family and Jesica went thru so much trouble and got this?! I know no one did this on purpose (apart from the press, later), but this made me mad anyway. More deserving Americans? Oh, please. I’ll go and cry a little, for Jesica and for humanity.
America will never “be great” because people are jerks. Everyone has a mindset that someone else having resources directly correlates to them not. Meanwhile billionaires get richer and the middle class is decimated. One poor dying girl having an awful tragedy happen to her and her family does not take away from the dying children in these states. Jessica deserved better. I feel so awful and sick to my stomach for the way they portrayed them as if their child dying wouldn’t cause them to do everything in their power to save them. Rest In Peace sweet child. Much love to the family.
Your initial sentence is accurate social commentary. Every policy decision, in private sector and at every level of government, is viewed (and skewed) through the lens of "how does this benefit ME". If it doesn't directly help one "side" of a polarized America, a propaganda machine will try to convince their 'side' that if they are not directly helped, that means they are harmed by the other "side" getting some benefit. The US is in a constant state of political civil war.
Yes, some people are so vile. They don’t even know the facts before they comment horrible things.
As soon as I saw the first picture of Jesica I remembered this case. A tragedy that should have been prevented 💔
Dr. Butts… Must have faced endless bullying in elementary school.
Ikr I was like did I hear her right. First, there was Ho and now Butts.
my high school had a teacher named Madison Butts..he was also like 6’7”
@kutiekatbrat I had a Mr Bottomley, he was very short. We called him Bottdogg.
@@KayGreylaiI knew a surgical resident named Susan Butcher, honestly! Also knew a retired Colonel Richard Butts, hey Dick 😂
28:26
Girl the way I scatter over here like roaches when the light gets switched on every time you upload!! 😩🤣
Same 😂 her content is guaranteed good and educative.
This caption wins
As someone that has received a tissue transplant (meniscal and Cartlidge) for my knee and knowing how many tests were ran on me to make sure they could find a suitable donor… I must say watching this will give me nightmares because this is what nightmares are made of for someone that needs a transplant whether it is organ or tissue. 😔
Love your channel. You are so thorough and insightful. I worked as an ICU nurse for my first 25 years of nursing and sadly lost patients whom we ended up taking care of their bodies until transplant testing was done. I love all your facts before, during, and after. Wonderful job. I have now been working in hospice for the past 10 years. Thanks for your very accurate and informative videos.
The weirdest thing related to transplants was the morning I used an ambu bag to keep someone alive (I'm a Respiratory Therapist and worked for a temp agency) and the following day I took care of three people who received the original lady's organs. Talk about wild!
One minute in to this video I literally gasped. The shock I felt when I hear that after everything Jessica's family went through to get the desperately needed surgery, the hospital made such a devastating mistake. And after all that, it took tweleve years to even learn what had actually happened. My heart breaks for her family. That desert crossing kills migrants every year. Everything they went through was so hard. All to try to save their child. ❤ You tell these real stories about real people that really move me, thank you. You put a human face on them. ❤
This poor, poor family. They sacrificed so much and they suffered so, so much. I cant believe what the nation and the doctors did to them. I really wished that the world was a better place, besides mack and her family
The fact that a non doctor mentioned that jessicas organs arent viable for donation due to massive amount of drugs, speaks volumes about the doctors at duke. Even if its not really a factor in organ donation, im glad he stood up for that family and the girls life
I'd still trust the doctors. He manipulated grieving parents. And he probably got a buttload of money from it. So many red flags with that guy.
exactly, how any of the doctors involved in her case ever graduated from med school is beyond me.
As a Medical Laboratory Technologist, I'm shocked! I graduated almost 50 years ago, and although I never worked in Immunohematology (blood banking), I did have a training rotation and wrote a national exam. Even at that time, numerous checks were made at every step, to ensure the correct blood was given, and testing was correctly done. Each step of the process required initials and matching documentation. Duke U is a world known and renowned institution. This just seems so reckless and amateur. Truly a stunning and heartbreaking mistake.
I work on an organ transplant unit and can tell you that we cross blood and the organs several times before the surgery. This case is more rare than people think.
I haven't finished the video yet, but... you have a new subscriber! My husband received a kidney transplant at MUSC in SC on November 8, 2022! That kidney transplant was life changing for our family! We received 3 phone calls the night/morning of his transplant. MUSC checked everything multiple times, beginning with blood type. They checked my husband by taking 11 tubes of blood even though I had already driven almost 2 hours in the middle of the night to get that kidney. The hospital should have done more, though. Duke 's reputation far exceeds this tragedy. I'm sure policies have changed or should have by now at Duke. I'm a proud organ donor. I'm thankful every day for the 34 year old male whose kidney my husband received. May he rest in peace.
I’m glad to know Mack passed on, because I was worried 7 years from now he’d be championing his name in a rebuttal to Petal.
This was a tough story from start to finish. Well done as usual, Petal. I thank you for all the hard work you put in each video. You never disappoint and I can’t even think of constructive criticism to help you improve. You do everything so perfect to my liking.
I basically grew up in a children's specialty hospital and was around kids who needed transplants, had severe burns, loss of limbs, had cancer, etc. It is limitless what a loving parent will do for the child - what they will give up, what border they will cross. Until it's your child...you'll never know.
It's heartbreaking that anyone would act like a child didn't deserve a chance because of how she got here. She wasn't some evil serial killer or cartel member bringing in drugs...she was a CHILD in DESPERATE need of help!
If they're angry that organs were wasted, be angry at the people at fault for the mix up. Those who, because of their mistake, wasted several organs and killed Jessica & someone who could have used the original organs.
Ironic how people were criticizing Jessica and her family for taking advantage, while Mack was the creep the whole time
Yes, he certainly was. Money and his 15 minutes.
I must confess, it's been awhile since I have watched any of your content due to stuff going on in my life recently. Upon coming back here this is the first video I have watched and while I was watching I checked out your channel to see what I'm going to binge and I noticed your subscriber count has shot up tremendously and I couldn't be happier for you!!!! So glad people are finding their way to your channel as you're a phenomenal person and content creator and you absolutely deserve it!! Congratulations to you on everything and keep up the great work!!
As a lab tech I can say the amount of clerical checks done from donation to transfusion you couldn’t count on the fingers of both hands. CBS tests the blood when they collect it, the hospital lab checks the blood unit when they get it, the hospital lab checks the patient’s blood when the MLA’s collect it - twice by two different techs - the tech and nurse check the unit blood type against the patient blood type together when hanging off and the nurses check the unit blood type before transfusing. A discrepancy given a missing zero at the beginning of a patients hospital number is grounds for rejection.
I had a friend that went out of her way to help a family. Afterwards she was asked about her motivation and even investigated. There was no wrong doing but her reputation was tarnished. This may or may not be the case here but it makes you think twice about getting involved. There is a reason they say “No good deed goes unpunished “.
And he is dead and can’t defend himself.
I just want to say the way you talk and narrate the story is immaculate, so respectful and easy to understand for non-speakers. You should get more attention
I'm only a few minutes in but as soon as you mentioned NC I knew where this was going. I used to work for Duke in research and I can attest there's a lot of shady shit going on behind the scenes on the university side.
People like Mack make it hard to accept help from people. Horrible story but great video.
Wait what did he do? Maybe it's later in the video.
Edit: Ah I see.
But I think he was right to pursue the autopsy.
It's hard to believe that Jessica died due to, basically, a clerical error. When i had my hip replacement, my surgeon came to visit me in pre-op and signed my leg with his pen to make sure the OR team prepped the correct side. Poor Jessica. 😢
Not surprised that Mack ended up being racist and controlling, especially with how he was pushing the family to sue after they just lost their daughter! No empathy, just a self centered, grandiose mentality
what a horrible, tragic and so easily preventable story. thank you for bringing attention to it and doing it such grace and justice
This is reminding me as somebody with O - to go donate blood. I'll even deal with the kinda annoying phone calls from donation centers if it means saving a life 😅
This makes me want to cry. Most of my family are immigrants from Mexico or still live there and its so sick the racism people get for just wanting to live. It makes me want scream.
I’m with you! I find the xenophobia and racism hypocritical and disgusting because the majority of white Americans have ancestors that IMMIGRATED to the US, they use nativist rhetoric to feel superior to their fellow human beings than having Empathy!
Just found your channel and after years of watching true crime, I have never found a channel like yours really love the medical side and the way you explained everything was amazing! Can’t wait to watch more of your videos ❤️
This is such an upsetting case! Appreciate your detailed and respectful coverage, I love recommending your channel.
Hmm, question tho, did Mack donate his organs when he passed?
That poor sweet little girl. What a nightmare.
I absolutely love your medical presentations. ❣️✨
What a tragic story 😔
Another great episode and another terrifying tragedy that could've been so easily avoided. I'm amazed the database that is supposed to match the organs and donor didn't produce some sort of error due to the blood type incompatibility. Not that it also shouldn't be checked by doctors as a redundancy, but you'd think it wouldn't ever have offered up her name as a viable candidate if the database systems were working well.
But separately, I also just wanted to say that that is one hell of a cute sweater you are wearing. It looks very good on you and extremely comfy.
It's so disturbing that someone would say a child doesn't deserve life saving treatment because they're from another country
thank you for sharing. the journey and hardships Jesica and her family endured … only to end with negligence that could’ve been avoided. and even after being demonized and accused of stealing resources while some guy tried to profit off your tragedy. it’s so heartbreaking.
Poor little girl .her and her family are in my prayers . This is a tragedy 😢😢😢
I absolutely love your channel, you're so thorough with your explanation and give a deeper understanding to these stories.
I work in a transplant center. The author did a great job researching and explaining the US transplant allocation system 👏
You tell sensitive stories with so much compassion and holistically, you cover all perspectives and layers. Amazing job. You do right by the subjects of these videos ❤
I just had surgery a week ago. My team asked several questions before even wheeling me back to the OR. They took 3 vials of blood and made sure those results came back before they even got started, then asked me the same questions again as they were taking me down the hall for the operation. Jessica's team failed not only her, but her family as well.
There is so much thought provoking information in this case. Regardless, this young girl did deserve treatment. She was failed by a medical mistake that is surprisingly avoidable. So any naysayer disparaging this family doing what any loving parents would do in their shoes; shame on them.
Such a sad outcome .
Just heartbreaking.
I work in the blood bank and this makes me so mad that they did not verify the blood type. Thank you for sharing this story because it is a good example to show nurses and doctors who get frustrated with us in the Blood Bank for requiring double checks of blood types with the nurse before even handing them the units.
Until you have a close love one who is in dire need of an organ transplant (such as my mom), you wouldn't understand the stress and anticipation of that person being on a transplant list. Never knowing when or even “if” that person will receive an organ. Also, it’s difficult to watch a family member go through dialysis treatment. My mother was on Emory University’s waiting list for about 5 years. Thankfully, a friend told her about UAB’s waitlist. She was able to receive a kidney transplant from UAB after being on their waitlist for only one year; and even then she had so many complications following, and a plethora of medications that she had to remember to take. It was as if it was always something new going on with her body. My mom received her transplant in 2018 and died due lung cancer in 2023; about a month after receiving her first chemo treatment. Again, you never know until you’ve experienced it.
Poor baby girl, I can't even imagine what the parents are feeling. May she rest in peace.
Being on an organ wait list myself, this is always a worry, error due to assuming
Sending love and health your way💕💕💖
Will you please do a video about the poor baby who got decapitated during her birth? They delivered the head with force, waited for like four hours, then did a c-section for the rest of her little body. Then the hospital covered it up. It's heartbreaking. I never knew this could even happen. 😢
Thanks for the content Petal! You are ever poised and intelligent.
What a huge mess! You'd think the doctor picking up the organs and the surgery team would have ensured they had a correct match.
I smell a Narcissist in Mack. Many times they'll do something altruistic for the supply of notoriety. And milk it for all they can get.....a charity being the perfect avenue.
Sadly Jessica's family were at the mercy of many sharks. When you're down, life kicks you the hardest.
Im a kidney transplant paitent, and its so sad that this happened to this girl, especially qith her being so young too. R.I. P. to Jessica.
I would also like to add that i appreciate all the research that you put into the organ transplant process. Very well done 🖤
Imagine knowing your error caused the death of a child.
Drs develop a coping system, most get hard and cold.
Sending you love from England, Petal. You’re a fantastic researcher and narrator.
I had forgotten all about this poor kid. I remember reading about this case on AOL when I was a teenager.
15:11 the donor list criteria is so interesting, but the story is so sad. 😞
It will forever upset me that people focus on the citizenship of the family rather than the facts: this girl was sick and due to the mistakes of many many professionals, she had suffered an early death. Regardless of where someone is from, the doctors failed Jesica and her family. You did such a good job of providing the facts and evidence and the amount of respect you have for the victims is commendable.
This video was so well put together, and your voice so soothing to listen to! I’m absolutely appalled by people who could dare to suggest that one person deserves an organ transplant more than another just based on something ridiculous like where they’re from. As a person who proudly checks the box for organ donation, I would be happy if in my death they were able to help any single person, no matter what circumstance.
I’m excited to have a new channel to follow. I didn’t quite realize how interesting medical malpractice type of videos could be, and now I have a channel full of other interesting videos I can give a watch.
I'd just like to compliment your beautiful skin, it is glowing.
rest in peace warrior disabled child. this could have gone so differently, and it should have. I hope the family has been able to process and grow from the trauma of this medical malpractice.
You raised an interesting point... so would US citizens reject organs from illegal immigrants or non citizens?? Based on the uproar over this child getting organs, I would like to think that the same people would not accept these organs on moral grounds. The reality is that they paid for their medical bills and were not dependent on public funds for the procedures.
Certain areas of the world have diseases but yeah, folks wouldn't take transfusions from people of color in the past. We've not progressed much because media would rather have us fighting each other than the people who really keep us poor.
you did a really good job of explaining all the relevant information in this video. My mother in law had a liver and kidney transplant so I thought I knew all about the procedure, but I learned a lot in this video. Thank you for not only sharing this tragic story with us, but also telling it in such a way that we could learn more about *how* it happened.,
thank you for covering this story. you always make such amazing content in a way that’s respectful of the people involved. love your channel 🫶🏾
Poor girl and family, they deserved better. Altho everyone finger pointed, at the end of the day its the responsibility of the doctor to do BASIC checks before putting organs into a body. Ie; is it the right organ for the right bofdy. This is up there with amputating wrong limbs, resulting in a double amputation. John Oliver has called oout these organ agencies - and IMHO they need to be held more accountable, given theyre the ones basicallly trading in body parts. These are lives, not computer equipment.
I just want to say, I’m not even 10 min into this, but you have a beautiful voice, and you do a great job telling the story. You’re very calming to listen to. ♥️
I just found your channel and I have to say Petal is one of the cutest girl names I have EVER heard in my entire life 😭😭
Thank you for talking so respectfully about this horrible and difficult to navigate case.
Doesn't organ donation also count skin, corneas, even bone?
Yes! Virtually every part of our bodies can be donated
Excellent video, as always, Petal! Jesica’s story gives me a lot to think about regarding our medical system. I’m glad to hear that UNOS improved their standards after her death, but I still worry overall about the US healthcare system being able to provide adequate care to everyone living here (whether they’re citizens or not). In my opinion, it seems like the healthcare system overall has only gotten worse
Wow I couldn’t imagine going through this with my child. Heartbreaking
This story is tragic. Poor family.
But, Dr Butts? I mean, come on....
I was thinking that too 😭
So sad, thanks for telling us her story! 😢 I enjoy your channel, the cases you pick and your respectful, down to earth story telling. If you ever need a hand with any of the more complex medical cases, understanding specialized equipment, deciphering medical records, standards of care, etc I’m always happy to help!!! 😁 You’re doing great!
It’s so sad how neglected people are from a good education and medical care. This hurts so bad
I’ve been watching the Olympic trials and thinking of you Petal. Big hugs.
This story reminds me so much of a lady that my mom met when I was hospitalized who was from Guatemala. her son had leukemia and they couldn’t do anything about it over there in Mexico so she decided to cross the border with him, sell her house and do everything she possibly good to try to get him some help. she fought until the very last moment and he passed away. I hope that they’re at peace now.
Thank you for sharing this, sad
Jessica died😢. The hospital knew Jessica died because of their blunder. Her parents did their best to get her treatment.
Thank to the man who also helped the family❤
In my country, the most prestigious hospitals mostly cater to American and Canadian patients. They come in droves for cheaper healthcare all the time.
Yet somehow if the opposite were to happen, THEY get mad at us.
I knew there was something fishy about Mack. This is just a sad sad story
I believe you should have been the journalist. You made so many valid points.