When my beloved grandmother died two years ago in India, my brother was able to arrange a quick donation of both her eyes (or corneas) and she gave vision and hope to two poor people, even in the afterlife. She also had a a pacemaker implanted in her and I had wondered why the medical device would be completely wasted, when so many in India die each year because they can’t afford a pacemaker or the simple surgery that implants one.
Well wonder no more. Researcher Dr. Behzad B. Pavri, of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia has initial results of a self-funded tudy implanting recovered Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators into indigent patients at the Mumbai Holy Family Hospital, as reported last month in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
There is also an article about it in this source for the lay reader.
What this means
Before you get grossed out by the concept, think about the millions who die each year because they cannot possibly afford a pacemaker, an ICD, an insulin pump or the like. We have no trouble using livers, hearts, and other organs from cadavers. Why not inanimate objects? Yes there are many risks and legitimate concerns, but these might be workable.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
