March 29, 2016.
25 years. It’s obviously too young to die. Antoine Demoitié, professional cyclist, died on the night of March 28 to 29, 2016, after falling to the ground with four other riders, during the Gand-Wevelgem race. He was run over by a motorcycle.
Three patients transplanted with their organs
It was at Lille hospital, where he had been transferred from Liège for a last-ditch operation, that the young Belgian cyclist Antoine Demoitié died. In accordance with his intentions expressed during his lifetime, several of his organs were removed, and transplanted on Monday morning, to three patients awaiting donation.
Organ donation: the presumption of agreement is not the rule in France
Organ donation in France is regulated: you must either have expressed during your lifetime wanting to donate your organs, or the family of the deceased must give their consent. It only takes one person to say that the deceased was against organ donation during his lifetime to theoretically prevent any donation. Plans to change the legislation, which would reverse the logic, authorizing the removal of organs by default, unless opposed by the deceased or the family, are under discussion, but pose a real ethical problem. Who owns the body, and who can dispose of it?
Read also: Why should we talk about organ donation?
