You might have seen the news earlier this week that doctors had transplanted a genetically modified pig’s heart into a human patient:
Doctors transplant a PIG heart into a human in world-first operation
+ US doctors have transplanted a genetically-modified pig heart into a patient who was ineligible for a human heart
+ It could solve the chronic shortage of organ donations
READ MORE: https://t.co/934Q8KsiSf pic.twitter.com/odDfwzXF9e
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) January 11, 2022
What you didn’t know: The heart recipient has a criminal record stemming from an assault 34 years ago that left a man paralyzed.
A Maryland man who received a pig’s heart last week in a pioneering transplant procedure has a criminal history stemming from an incident 34 years ago in which he repeatedly stabbed a young man, leaving him paralyzed. https://t.co/Ha8m0RsbUD
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 13, 2022
Days after David Bennett received a life-saving, historic heart transplant, some newspapers have decided to write about the crime he committed in 1988 and to question if his medical team knew about his past. https://t.co/o4Tpe2QNHm
— Dr. Seema Yasmin is on a media literacy mission (@DoctorYasmin) January 13, 2022
are you trying to make him give the heart back
— Nathan Bernhardt (@jonbernhardt) January 13, 2022
If he hasn't been in trouble since then, I think we can assume he's changed his ways.
— Heidi Weispfenning (@deadrose23) January 13, 2022
I heard that he had a change of heart pic.twitter.com/MXr2hhVVmC
— ℤack↞ (@BlackMambruh) January 13, 2022
Who squealed on him?
— Grumpy-ish Adam (@GrumpAdam) January 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/ThomasGraydon4/status/1481751576167518215
And this important because…?
— Tony Martín (@Tonymartincasti) January 13, 2022
Recommended
So. What.
— TaylorStreet (@TaylorStreet312) January 13, 2022
What the hell kind of headline and story is this
— rabia O'chaudry (@rabiasquared) January 13, 2022
This is awful to have published
— Cassie (@CassieFambro) January 13, 2022
Can someone explain the news value of this story?
— Kelly Kenoyer (@Kelly_Kenoyer) January 13, 2022
NYT, What is your point?
— LKovach bluecheck 😺 🔬⛏️ (@tablegrapes) January 13, 2022
what do y’all want me to do with this information
— sarah (@slwein) January 13, 2022
Guess he should give the heart back?
— Claude K. (@C_KA10) January 13, 2022
WHY IS THIS A STORY??
— Eliza Orlins (@elizaorlins) January 13, 2022
Setting aside the fact that everyone has a life worth saving, this man was ACQUITTED of maiming with intent to murder.
Reporting on this at all is disgusting, but leaving out his acquittal makes it misleading as well https://t.co/ed46UXOFNP pic.twitter.com/XgUEGZG0dD
— allison (@allisongeroi) January 13, 2022
I missed the part where any of that matters for any reason whatsoever
— Tim (@T_nels) January 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/ABamonte/status/1481764071351500802
Slow news day?
— PersephoneC (@PersephoneC) January 13, 2022
The medical breakthrough is really the point.
— Dr. Ivan Dominguez (@drivandomingz) January 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/TomRaue/status/1481734053615513601
https://twitter.com/DorseyFilm/status/1481772202580013058
And yet there are discussions about denying treatment to the unvaccinated. Okay.
— MLB (@MaureenLBoyle) January 13, 2022
— Laura Davis Vaughan (@MsDvTeaches) January 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/CountyPride/status/1481740082159788037
I know you come in for undeserved criticism sometimes but this is the worst headline and story premise I have ever seen. Not in the NYT. Like, anywhere. This is teach it in J-School level awful.
— Peter A. Shulman 📚 (@pashulman) January 14, 2022
Thank goodness they followed up with this important information.