The people in your group represent a panel of doctors. Each of the patients listed below is in need of the services of a kidney machine to do the work of their own failing organs. There are only 5 machines available at present because of the prohibitive cost of manufacturing them. No more machines will be available in time to save all these patients. These machines have been donated by a charitable organization. It is the job of your panel to decide, based on the information given, which patients will receive treatment and which will not. Those who do not receive treatment will die.
Mrs. Maria Vasquez - 27 years old. She is married and has 6 children who range in age from 2 to 10 years. Her husband is a printer who owns his own print shop in partnership with his brother-in-law.
Ms. Mary Fortran - 31 years old. She is the director of funds research for N.A.S.A. She is a former Rhodes scholar with a Ph.D. in physics. At present she is working on a formula for a food capsule to be used in space travel. She is divorced and has no children.
Mike Corbona - 40 years old. He is an ex-convict, was convicted for tax evasion and served 7 years. He is active in local politics in New Jersey. He is known as the spearhead behind the minority right program in his area. He is suspected of having Mafia connections. The 9 Korean orphans he supports do not know of his former crime involvement.
Peter Maximo- 9 years old. He has an I.Q. of 160 but is severely mentally disturbed at having witnessed the car accident which killed both of his parents. He has not spoken a word in over 2 years.
Mrs. Terry McBride- 27 years old. She is an instructor at a local university, working on her M.S. in communication. Her husband is partially blind and is now receiving payments from the Army. They have no children. Their debts include some car payments and a 30-year mortgage on their house.
Dick Constable- 35 years old. He is a bachelor. He works as a federal narcotics agent in Chicago, primarily arresting heroin dealers. He is active in community youth organizations. He is also engaged to be married.
Father Musallo- 53 years old. He is a Dominican friar who is the headmaster of a parochial school. He is presently organizing missions to help with Indian education in New Mexico. He specializes in counseling young people and juvenile delinquents.
Thomas Washington- 19 years old. He is a freshman at New York University. He and his family live in Harlem. His father died when he was very little and his insurance money is paying for Tom's education. He is a member of radical group whose avowed purpose is to foster anarchy in America.