On Oct. 27, several Lehigh Valley Press newspapers ran a column and a Guest View op-ed regarding the Donate Life PA Act.

Both stem from the same blatantly false statements made by lobbyist Susan Shanaman on behalf of the state coroners’ association.

I appreciate the opportunity to share the facts about this important legislation.

My name is Bill Hankee. I am the father of a true hero in the eyes of many.

My 22-year-old daughter, Krysta, donated her organs five days after collapsing in a New York gym.

When I read Ms. Shanaman’s column I said out loud, “She just killed nine people.”

I’m sure her deceptive writing will cause some local family to say no to donation, resulting in several deaths.

Krysta collapsed on the morning of Sept. 19, 2007. She was placed on life support in the NYU Medical Center ICU.

A few days later, Krysta’s doctor told us he believed she had passed away.

He explained three important tests needed to be completed to be sure she was brain dead.

I called my friend, Dr. Bruce Nicholson, and told him the news and included these words, “Bruce, they think she passed away, but it looks like she is sleeping.”

He said, “I’m on my way to you. See you in two hours.”

Krysta’s doctor welcomed Bruce to join him in the final testing. In a few hours, both doctors came to my wife and me and said they had determined Krysta was indeed brain dead. Two days later, in the middle of the night, Krysta donated the gift of life to five strangers.

Our funeral director arrived in New York late morning on the day of donation and found out the medical examiner was not ready to release Krysta.

I called the ME to discuss the need to release Krysta. She said she must first complete her investigation.

I said, “What investigation?” She said young people usually don’t just drop over dead and that she may have to conduct an autopsy.

I asked how she could do that with all the organs already donated. She said that part of the investigation was completed prior to donation with all the organs found to be in perfect condition and all toxicology tests were completed.

She informed me that she had some interviews of the medical teams to complete and test results to review and she would decide on the possibility of an autopsy in less than two hours.

Upon review, she determined no further testing was needed, and she released Krysta.

Thank God our tragedy happened in one of the many states that practice a common-sense cooperative approach in their investigations.

I want to focus on Ms. Shanaman’s claims about organ donation and death investigations.

One reason the Donate Life PA Act is so important is that Pennsylvania leads the country in organ donations blocked by county coroners.

In particular, Lehigh County’s coroner, Scott Grim, is responsible for blocking donation eight times since the beginning of 2014.

That’s more blocked cases than 42 entire states, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Delaware, Massachusetts and Florida.

In almost every state in the country, organ donation and death investigations occur side-by-side and without issue.

But if Krysta had collapsed in Lehigh County, she most likely would not have been allowed to donate, resulting in five deaths.

The New York medical examiner had concerns regarding Krysta’s death, but she works in a system that provides a framework that lets investigation and donation work together.

The Donate Life PA Act creates a uniform standard for the entire commonwealth to ensure each coroner is following best practices. That means the coroner or a designee going to the hospital before blocking donation and explaining the reason if they do.

States that have this law have few or no declines each year because organ donation and forensic investigations are 100-percent compatible.

Many of Mr. Grim’s colleagues are well aware of that fact.

The Donate Life PA Act would not interfere with death investigations but would require a small amount of extra effort from a few coroners in order to ensure that opportunities to save lives through donation are not blocked needlessly.

Rather than address this issue, the coroners’ lobbyist has misled many in Pennsylvania with absurd claims and has blocked an important piece of legislation for more than five years. When it comes to organ donation and the Donate Life PA Act, delay contributes to more deaths of those waiting.

Next, the headlines about race playing a factor in organ donation are false and irresponsible. Ms. Shanaman has claimed in this newspaper and others that the Donate Life PA Act would mandate that children be taught “that minorities are ineligible to receive donated organs from white individuals.”

That is absolutely false. Race does not play a role in organ allocation, and minorities are absolutely “eligible” to receive donated organs from white individuals.

Last month, an African-American transplant surgeon from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center was asked about these claims by the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

She said of Ms. Shanaman’s twisted interpretation of the law and curriculum that it is “inflammatory to take that statement and turn it around and say blacks wouldn’t be allowed to receive organs donated by white people.”

Several newspapers throughout Pennsylvania have criticized Ms. Shanaman for repeating this false claim. The Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice called it “off base and misleading,” while the Patriot-News called it “perhaps the most irresponsible statement” in the coroners’ press release.

Unfortunately, Editor Deb Palmieri of the Parkland and Northwestern Press seemed instead to endorse it. Ms. Palmieri has been misled.

The Pennsylvania State Coroners Association should admonish Susan Shanaman for repeating these and other lies and should publicly renounce them as false.

I encourage the Lehigh Valley Press newspapers to do the same.

***

Editor’s note: According to information provided by Bill Hankee, Stephen Tornone, associate general counsel for Gift of Life program, assisted with talking points in the writing of this letter. Bill Hankee taught at Parkland School District for 17 years and is now a general contractor. His wife, Christine, retired from teaching at Parkland after 37 years.

The opinion expressed by Press Editor Deb Palmieri in her Editor’s View is hers alone and not an endorsement by the Lehigh Valley Press newspapers.