They want to know how we perceive the family feels when we talk to them about donation and whether we provide any support to these families after donations. All of this is new to them. All donors must be at least 15 years old and their families must consent. Lock, who spoke on transplantation before the upper chamber of the Japanese Diet earlier this year, is writing a book about the controversy. In the United States, the legal definition of brain death varies by state, but all recognize it as the irreversible cessation of brain function.
Physicians conduct a battery of clinical and laboratory tests before declaring brain death.
This is partly because of deeply entrenched cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs. So the idea of giving something anonymously and not having it slotted into a system of exchange is really very odd. Although in Buddhism the idea is you should be able to give to others, that has stayed very much more in a religious context rather than being extrapolated into modern society. Furthermore, many Japanese believe death only occurs once the heart stops beating. It's been difficult to get the elder political representatives to understand brain death and really make a tremendous move in medicine.