Did Hospital Kill Teen For His Organs?

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(March 16) - An Ohio couple whose teenage son was injured in a snowboarding accident has filed a lawsuit, claiming his doctors harvested his organs before he was declared dead.

Eighteen-year-old Gregory Jacobs, of Bellevue, Ohio, suffered a "closed head injury" two years ago while snowboarding on a high school-sponsored ski trip in Findley Lake, N.Y.

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Parents Sue Medical Officials

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The parents of an Ohio teenager who suffered a serious head injury in a snowboarding accident is suing doctors and health officials, claiming they took their son's organs before he was declared dead. Gregory Jacobs, above, was injured two years ago while snowboarding on a high school-sponsored ski trip in Findley Lake, N.Y.

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He was airlifted to Hamot Medical Center in northwestern Pennsylvania, where he died.

The suit, which was filed earlier this month, claims doctors and a representative of The Center Organ Recovery & Education (CORE), a group that helps hospitals procure donated tissue, caused Gregory's death by administering medication and by removing his breathing tube.

Michael and Teresa Jacobs also allege that their son had not been formally declared brain dead when surgeons began the transplant procedure.

Hamot and CORE deny any wrongdoing. Hamot says, "The care that Gregory received throughout his course of treatment at Hamot following the severe head trauma he sustained was timely, appropriate and well-documented. Proper consent was received in order for his organs to be donated and the protocols that were followed were consistent with all established donation procedures. Any claims otherwise are completely baseless. ... We will vigorously defend against any accusations of wrongdoing."

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