Aussie liver patient dies
AN AUSTRALIAN liver transplant recipient, who sparked a storm of
debate over her organ donation in her country, died at the Mount
Elizabeth Hospital at noon on Thursday, after doctors battled for
eight hours on Wednesday to remove blood clots that had formed
around her heart.
Doctors said they had done all they could to save Ms Claire
Murray, 25, from West Australia.
Her supporter and Perth doctor, George O'Neil, earlier told The
West Australian news site that Ms Murray had been taken off life
support on Thursday morning. 'This morning it looked as though they
were taking her off the ventilator and she was in renal failure by
9am,' Dr O'Neill told the news portal. He said he expected doctors
to 'declare she will be dead before lunchtime'.
According to a source close to the Murray family, the mother of
two had too many blood clots. The operation had been expected to
take four hours, but complications extended it to eight, The West
Australian reported.
Ms Murray's organ donation sparked a storm of debate in
Australia. Dr O'Neill commended her public fight. He said: 'I think
a lot of people in the community have been interested but not
really understood it could mean the death of a young, 25-year-old
woman.' 'I have talked to (Ms Murray's family) and they are
definitely in grieving mode.'
Her father, Michael, flew to Singapore to be with her on
Wednesday. Her parents, brother, uncle and step-father are with
her, although her two children remained in Perth.
Ms Murray, a recovering heroin addict, was refused a donor
transplant by doctors in Perth because she relapsed soon after her
first transplant in 2009. Ms Murray's aunt had donated part of her
liver.
-- ST
