Medical Case Study: Rhonda Ryder

In this paper I will explain that the God Squad’s central value, when determining who should receive the limited resource, was the value to society provided by the candidate. Due to this criteria, Rhonda Ryder would not be put on the list because her societal value included prostitution charges, case of syphilis, drug use, and multiple children with different fathers. However, I deem that the God Squad’s system is flawed insofar as it fails to consider how the resource could be used most effectively. I will also argue that the important value should be the prosperity of the organ and patient in order to ensure the organ is not wasted: killing two people. Therefore, I contend that Rhonda Ryder should be put on the list. There is good evidence that she will survive long term due to her youth, otherwise healthy, no other disease, and compliancy with her health care.
The God Squad was a committee of seven anonymous members who were given the difficult task of choosing which candidates with end-stage renal disease should receive dialysis, a life-saving procedure. Additionally, a medical team evaluated all of the possible candidates to ensure they were all medically adequate for dialysis prior to reaching the God …show more content…
Rhonda Ryder is single woman with two young children from two different fathers. Furthermore, she does not show any prospect of having a job and was arrested two years ago for prostitution. Additionally, she was diagnosed with a virulent strain of syphilis that went untreated, which most likely resulted in kidney damage. For this reason, Rhonda Ryder would not show any evidence of “future potential” in the values of the God Squad. The God Squad centered their decisions around the candidate’s societal status and due to Rhonda Ryder’s status: income, net worth, occupation, references, etc. she would not be considered for a kidney