Prof. Sir Richard Gardner, a stem cell expert from Oxford University and advisor to the HFEA and the Royal Society, speaking at a recent Oxford International Biomedical Centre conference, stated that fetal tissue may offer a more realistic solution to the lack of donor organs than technologies such as designer pigs with ‘humanised’ organs which carry the risk of disease. Casting doubts on the feasibility of creating fully-functioning 3D organs made from stem cells Prof. Gardner expressed his surprise that the possibility of using fetal organs had not been considered.

‘We do not take donor organs from living or deceased persons without their consent’ said Rachel von Goetz of the ProLife Alliance ‘So how can we take organs from an infant who has not even been born?

‘Legalisation of fetal organ harvesting will inevitably open the door to increased abortions. The ProLife Alliance rightly fears that using the unborn child as an organ donor will lead to abortions being timed to suit the needs of transplant patients, intentional pregnancies for the express purpose of harvesting organs and could lead to it becoming the “duty” of a woman in a crisis pregnancy to sacrifice her child in the name of organ donation.

‘Thankfully we are not at a stage where this horrific idea could be enacted. Prof. Gardner admits that “much research would be needed to show that such transplants [are] effective.” Although his proposal is barely in the pipeline such ideas can quickly gain momentum, the public needs to speak out against this intolerable proposal.’

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Notes to Editors
An international black market in fetal tissue already exist according to reports from Russia where young women are paid to have abortions at 8-12 weeks so that the child’s stem cells can be harvested

Trade in fetal tissue has been up and running in the U.S for many years with aborted babies organs being sold piece by piece “Ears for $75 a pair; arms and legs, $150; a brain for $999, tax not included.”

This new development would legitimise something we find intrinsically abhorrent.

For further details please contact: Rachel von Goetz tel: 020 7581 6939

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