Timing Is Everything
February 20, 2003 4:56 AM   Subscribe

"In the midst of this conference, Senator Dole called Mack on his cell phone." The Jesica Santillan piece that didn't make CNN. Hehe...I thought that hospital was a bit too eager to accept responsibility for its actions...cheers to Mrs. Dole for stepping in; lets hope Jesica pulls through!
posted by effugas (18 comments total)
 
Um...not to be a dick about it...but is this really FPP material?
posted by adamgreenfield at 5:19 AM on February 20, 2003


Valid point, adamgreenfield. You could say the description and information about the event from the family view is an example of what is "most interesting of the web."

You could also marvel at a US congressperson helping out by reputation and not holding a press conference afterward. That would be unusual.

Or this thread could lead to further examples of how the US media fails to get "all of the story" anymore.
posted by ?! at 5:50 AM on February 20, 2003


Adam--

In this time of political hand wringing and distrust of power figures in general, what can I say? I like the idea of a senator putting her foot and her power where it belongs, making a significant change for the better, and not trumpeting her success all around. Hell, what can I say. Her timing rocks -- here comes the hospital, thinking they can bully through this family, when the cell phone starts ringing.

Maybe it's a bit of schaudenfraude -- but oh, to have been a fly on the wall in that room.

?!'s of course right -- yadda yadda, the self-published, unfiltered net officially intersects with the PR-agency filtered newscasts, truth comes out, this so couldn't have happened ten years ago...all that kind of self congratulatory stuff. But for once -- and believe me, I've done some damn quirky FPP's in the past -- I thought I'd show respect to one small act of justice and goodness.

--Dan
posted by effugas at 6:54 AM on February 20, 2003


" Um...not to be a dick about it...but is this really FPP material?"

The point at which a community's primary function becomes maintaining the purity of the community, it ceases to be useful or interesting.
posted by mecran01 at 7:55 AM on February 20, 2003 [1 favorite]


Jesica just got another heart and lung transplant (they broke into local programming with the news) and from what I understand she is off life support. She is still in critical condition but at least now she has a chance.
posted by konolia at 7:56 AM on February 20, 2003


And now that I have read the article-Senator Dole kicks butt!!!
posted by konolia at 8:00 AM on February 20, 2003


Ummm.... Which article? The link pointed me to a page with about a dozen different links.
posted by kewms at 8:07 AM on February 20, 2003


Never mind. Found it. Yay, Senator Dole!
posted by kewms at 8:08 AM on February 20, 2003


Devil's advocate: another example of preferential treatment for the politically connected.

My actual opinion: Thank god she's getting a new transplant, and anything or anyone that makes this ordeal less painful for the family is A-OK in my book.
posted by luser at 8:23 AM on February 20, 2003


Would you prefer politicians be powerless? That no matter how urgent the situation, no human judgement be applied, only the mechanical bureaucratic blindness of policy?

Politicians without power? Sounds like a paid debate society.

--Dan
posted by effugas at 9:46 AM on February 20, 2003


Kinda hard to call Jesica politically connected...but I bet she's thankful her samaritan was. I can't find any reason to criticize the guy for making that call. It's not like he was using his relationship with the senator to get a government contract. This should serve to remind us that not every potential transplant patient is Mickey Mantle or David Crosby or has a guardian angel like Mack Mahoney taking care of them. Make sure you are a registered organ donor!
posted by cyclopz at 9:56 AM on February 20, 2003


making a significant change for the better, and not trumpeting her success all around

Um, I want to like that Sen. Dole came to the rescue with no questions asked, but perhaps that was the point? Doesn't she have connections to Duke? Perhaps she was trying to help wipe some egg of the university's face? *shrug*

Glad this girl is apparently making progress with new organs, and I concur with cyclopz that all should register to be an organ donor.
posted by terrapin at 10:13 AM on February 20, 2003


But the squeamish may not want to read this Wired article about organ donors.
posted by pmurray63 at 1:04 PM on February 20, 2003


Question: If the new donor organs are of US origination does this make her eligible for US tax dollar aid?
In spirit as it were?
posted by DBAPaul at 5:18 PM on February 20, 2003


If the story of Dole's phone call is accurate, it's truly amazing that none of the local newspapers, let alone the national press, have picked up on it. Thanks for this link.
posted by mediareport at 11:28 PM on February 20, 2003


Ah, turns out the Raleigh paper did mention Mahoney's claim of a phone call from Dole; I must have skipped over it at the time. But the details at Jesica's site describe truly sickening behavior on the part of Duke Med. I hope we see some follow-up.
posted by mediareport at 12:17 AM on February 21, 2003


They just had a news conference here-Jesica has had swelling and bleeding in her brain. The doctors are saying there is irreversible brain damage...from the way they are talking the damage is severe.
posted by konolia at 10:12 AM on February 21, 2003


there is irreversible brain damage

Which raises the question of whether they should have tried the 2nd heart transplant at all. It's horrible to think about but probably true nevertheless that the 2nd operation was purely a PR move. One that may have taken a good heart away from another recipient.

I blogged some thoughts about the way Duke Med handled the situation here.
posted by mediareport at 1:05 AM on February 22, 2003


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