In medical practices of
all specialties, organ
transplantation is the
one that most clearly
demonstrates the close
relationship between
death and the new life,
the rebirth from the
ashes like the Phoenix:
the mythological bird
symbol of the renewal of
time and life after
death. (1)
The topic "organ
donation and
transplants" is quite
contemporary in the
world scenario. On the
subject, the instructive
information of the
Spiritual Benefactors is
not abundant. The
instigating Genome
Project, research on
embryonic stem cells and
others signal the scope
of human science.
Transplants, in ancient
times full of cases of
rejection, have become
today's practices of
organic recomposition.
The care "in-vivo" of
experiments aimed at
regenerating cells and
the perspective of
improving life goes
ahead, despite the fact
that research is still
testing the beginning
steps. This
makes the expectation of
contemporary science
auspicious.
However, the fear of the
unknown hovers in the
minds of many. Some
spiritists refuse to
authorize, in life, the
donation of their own
organs after
disincarnating, claiming
that Chico Xavier was
not in favor of
transplants.
This is not true! It is
necessary to clarify
that Chico Xavier, when
he stated "my
mediumship, my life, I
dedicated to my family,
my friends, the people.
My death is mine. I have
this right. Nobody can
touch my body; it must
go for Mother Earth", he
did so because when he
was still incarnated,
Chico received several
[inappropriate]
proposals for his brain
to be studied after his
disincarnating. Hence,
the understandable fear
that his body would be
desecrated in that
sense.
We cannot forget that,
if today we are
potential donors,
tomorrow we may be
potential recipients or
our family members and
friends. "For most
people, the issue of
donation is as remote
and distant as death.
But for those who are
waiting for an organ for
transplantation, it
means the only
possibility of life!" (2)
Joanna de Ângelis, aware
of this importance,
points out "(...) A true
blessing, organ
transplantation grants
the opportunity to
continue physical
existence, as a
moratorium, through
which the Spirit
continues its organic
journey. After all, life
in the body is a means
to fullness - which is
life itself, flowing and
real" (3)
In an interview with TV
Tupi in August 1964,
Chico Xavier comments
that organ
transplantation, in the
opinion of the wise
spirits, is a very
legitimate problem of
science, very natural
and must be taken
forward. The spirits,
according to the medium
from Uberaba, do not
believe that organ
transplants are contrary
to natural laws. For it
is very natural that,
when we get rid of the
physical body, we come
to donate the helpful
organs to companions in
need of them, who can
use them with profit.
(4)
Donating organs for
transplants is perfectly
legitimate. Divaldo
Franco certifies: if
divine mercy gives us a
healthy physical
organization, it is fair
and valid, after having
used this heritage, to
offer it, thanks to the
valuable achievements of
science and technology,
to those who came in
need in order to
continue the journey.
(5)
There are also no
traumatizing or
inhibiting reflexes in
the spiritual body, in
contrast to the
mutilation of the
physical body. The
eye-giver will not
return blind to the
Beyond. If that were the
case, what would become
of those whose bodies
were consumed by fire or
disintegrated in an
explosion? (6)
When can you specify
that a person is dead?
According to the
American Society of Neuroradiology,
brain death is the
irreversible state of
cessation of all brain
and neural functions,
resulting from edema and
massive destruction of
brain tissues, although
cardiopulmonary activity
can be maintained by
advanced life support
systems and mechanisms
of ventilation”. (7)
In this state, there is
the possibility of the
organ donor "dying".
Only then can his organs
be used - since organs
without blood supply are
not suitable for
transplants. Was it
euthanasia? Evidently,
characterizing the fact
as such lacks scientific
reasoning (...) to
condemn organ
transplantation:
euthanasia would in no
way fit in these cases
of proven brain death. (8)
Medicine, all over the
world, is sure that
brain death, which
includes the death of
the brainstem (10) will
only be verified through
two neurological exams,
with an interval of six
hours, and a
complementary one. Thus,
when irreversible
cessation of neural
function is verified,
this patient will be
dead, according to the
unanimity of the medical
literature.
An issue that is also
often raised is the
body's rejection after
surgery. Chico Xavier
again comes to our aid,
explaining: Andre Luiz
considers rejection to
be a clearly
understandable problem,
as the organ of the
spiritual body is
present in the receiver.
The perispiritual organ
provokes the elements of
the body's defense,
which the immunological
resources in the near
future, naturally, will
halt or curb. (11)
Specialists, starting in
1967, developed several
immunosuppressant drugs
(cyclosporine,
azathioprine and
corticoids) to reduce
the possibility of
rejection, thus allowing
organ recipients to have
a longer survival. (12)
Statistically, what
happens is that the life
extension rate of
transplants is extremely
high. This is thanks not
only to medical
techniques, which are
always improving, but
also to the
immunosuppressive
regimens that have
developed and expanded
considerably, and
currently there are
regimens that lead to
zero percent (0%) acute
cell rejection in the
initial phase of the
transplant, which is
when they occur. (13)
Andre Luiz explains that
when the cell is removed
from its formative
structure, in the human
body, going to the
laboratory for another
energetic environment,
it loses the mental
command that guided it
and starts, in this way,
to individualize itself.
When implanted in
another organism [by
transplantation, for
example], it will tend
to adapt to the new
[spiritual] command that
will revitalize it and
then coordinate its
path. (14)
Joanna de Angelis
corroborates this
condition when she
explains: (...) when the
organ is transferred to
another body, the
perispirit of the
incarnated person
automatically begins to
influence it, molding it
to its needs, which will
demand an urgent moral
transformation from the
beneficiary patient for
the better. Thus, his
map of trials is also
modified by his inner
renewal, generating new
triggering causes for
the happiness you seek
and perhaps still do not
deserve. (15)
The Spirits told Kardec
that disconnecting from
the physical body is a
highly specialized
process and that it can
take minutes, hours,
days, months. (16)
Although with physical
death there is no longer
any vitality in the
body, there are still
cases in which the
Spirit, whose life was
all material, sensual,
is yoked to the spoils,
due to the affinity
given by him to matter.
(17)
However, let us remember
the situation that
occurs every day in
large cities: the
practice of necropsy,
required by law, in
cases of violent death
or without determined
cause: the corpse is
opened, from the sternal
region to the lower
abdomen, exposing the
thoracoabdominal
viscera. (18)
One cannot lose sight of
the individual merit.
Would the fate of
disembodied spirits be
at the mercy of men's
decision to remove their
organs for
transplantation, to
cremate their bodies or
to cut up their viscera
during the necropsy?
Common sense and reason
scream that this is not
possible, because it
would be to admit the
justice of chance and
chance does not exist! (19)
In short, the donation
of organs for
transplants will not
affect the spirit of the
donor, except if we
believe that the Law of
God is unfair and we are
in the Orb adrift of His
Will. Let us remember
that in the Statutes of
the Father, there is no
room for injustice and
organ transplantation (a
feat of human science)
is a valuable
opportunity among many
others placed at our
disposal for the
exercise of love.
Bibliographic
references:
1- Mario Abbud Filho
Former President of the
Brazilian Association of
Organ Transplants.
President of the Society
of Medicine and Surgery
of Sao Jose do Rio
Preto. Member of the American
Society Transplant
Physician. Member of
the International
Transplantation Society,
access available on
04/12/2005
2- In Organ Donation
and Transplantation,
by Wlademir Lisso /
Cleusa M. Cardoso de
Paiva, available for
access on 04/15/2004
3- Franco, Divaldo
Pereira. Glorious
Days, dictated by
the Spirit Joanna de
Angelis. Salvador/Ba:
Ed. LEAL, 1999, Cf. Cap.
Organ Transplants
4- Published in the Spiritist
Magazine Allan Kardec,
year X, no.38
5- Franco, Divaldo
Pereira. Seara de Luz,
Salvador: Editora LEAL
[the book presents a
series of interviews
with Divaldo between
1971 and 1990.]
6- Simonetti, Richard. Who
is afraid of death?
- Sao Paulo / SP:
Editora Lumini, 2001
7- In: "From organ
transplants to cloning",
by Rita Maria P. Santos,
Ed. Forense, Rio/RJ,
2000, p. 41
Transplants in the
Spiritist Vision,
published in the Revista
Reformador -
October/1998
9- Idem
10- The brainstem, and
not the heart, is
recognized as the
organizer and
"commander" of all vital
processes. It houses the
neural capacity for
breathing and
spontaneous heartbeats;
without trunk no one
breathes by itself.
11- Cf. Spiritist
Magazine Allan Kardec,
year X, n°38
12- Folha de S.
Paulo, A3, "Opinião",
May 15, 2001
13- Interview with Prof.
Doctor Flavio Jota de
Paula Physician at the
Renal Transplant Unit at
HC/FMUSP. 1st Secretary
of the Brazilian
Association of Organ
Transplantation (ABTO).
Director of the 1st
Organ Transplantation
Mini Marathon in Brazil.
Published in Hospital
Practice year IV No. 24
Nov-Dec/2002
14- Xavier, Francisco
Candido. Evolution in
two worlds - Dictated by
the Spirit Andre Luiz.
5th Ed. Rio
de Janeiro, RJ: Ed FEB,
1972, chap. "Cells
and Spiritual Body"
15- Franco, Divaldo
Pereira. Glorious
Days, dictated by do
pelo Espírito Joanna de
Angelis. Salvador:
Ed. LEAL, 1999
16- Kardec, Allan. The
Book of Spirits, RJ:
Ed FEB/2003, question
no.155, Chap. XI.
17- Kühl Eurípedes
24/04/2005 DONATION
OF TRANSPLANT ORGANS Virtual
Interview available
access on 04/24/2005
18- Cf. Bezerra, Evandro
Noleto. Transplant of
Organs in the Spiritist
View, published in
the Reformador Magazine
- October/1998
19- Bezerra, Evandro
Noleto. Transplant
of Organs in the
Spiritist View. |