My editorial was published today

http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050327/OPINION02/503270406/1080

Organ donation preferable to a vegetative life

Published in the Home News Tribune 03/27/05

I always believed that if I were placed in the same situation that Terri Schiavo is in now that physicians, and for some ungodly reason, judges, senators and the president would heed the directions of my wife, Wendy. After all, I have communicated clearly to her my wishes for most scenarios. Obviously this might not be the case.

Who is paying for someone to lie in a vegetative state after 10 to 15 to 20 years? Emotionally, the family is, and financially, we all are. I have made my directive clear to my family regarding long-term care. I also decided to donate my remains to a medical school after visiting the cadaver lab at my brother Michael's medical school — the University of Pittsburgh.

If we've learned anything from Terri Schiavo's plight it is that we all need to have an advance directive for health care and, optimally, an advance directive and organ donor wallet card. Legal Services of New Jersey, an independent, nonprofit organization, coordinates the statewide Legal Services system. One can find links to both forms at: http://www.lsnjlaw.org/english/healthcare/advFormCombinedAdvDir.cfm and http://www.lsnjlaw.org/english/healthcare/advFormWalletCard.cfm.

I personally urge everyone over the age of 18 to fill out this very important form and I would like to thank the LSNJ for the good work that it does.
Bob Mantz Jr.
www.bobmantz.com