The Washington monthly's Monthly Journalism Award.Avery Comorow "Jesica's Story" U.S. News & World Report U.S. News & World Report Weekly newsmagazine published in Washington, D.C. U.S. News was founded in 1933 by David Lawrence (1888–1973) to cover important domestic events; he founded World Report in 1945 to treat world news. The two magazines were merged in 1948. July 28-August 4, 2003 Pairing touching personal detail with rigorous system analysis, Avery Comorow explores the failure of the nation's organ transplant organ transplant: see transplantation, medical. system and the doctors and medical professionals who run it to provide sufficient safeguards to prevent tragic mistakes. Comorow structures this story around one such mistake: the story of 17-year old Jesica Santillan Jesica Santillan (December 26, 1985 - February 22, 2003) was an illegal immigrant from Mexico who entered the United States to obtain medical treatment, but died after an organ transplant operation in which she received the heart and lungs of a patient whose blood type did not , a Mexican girl whose parents brought her to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. illegally so she could have the heart transplant heart transplant Procedure to remove a diseased heart and replace it with a healthy one from a legally dead donor. The first was performed in 1967 by Christiaan Barnard. she needed to save her life. Santillan died when Duke University doctors gave her a heart and set of lungs that did not match her blood type. Her body rejected the new organs, and, after a series of subsequent operations and a second transplant failed to save her, she died after going into cardiac arrest cardiac arrest n. Abbr. CA A sudden cessation of cardiac function, resulting in loss of effective circulation. Cardiac arrest A condition in which the heart stops functioning. . Comorow goes into expert depth to detail why even the most respected medical institutions can make mistakes with transplants--and to offer some cutting suggestions for reform. The Monthly Journalism Award is presented each month to one or more newspaper, magazine, radio or television stories (or series of stories) that demonstrate a commitment to the public interest. We are particularly interested in reporting that explains the successes and failures of government agencies at all levels and of other institutions such as the media, corporations, unions, and foundations that contribute to the existence of solution of public problems. Please send nominations (including a copy of the article or broadcast text) to The Washington Monthly Journalism Award, 733 15th Street, NW, Suite 520, Washington, DC 20005. Or email us at editors@washingtonmonthly.com. |
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