Too old for new heart? Germany faces dearth of organ donors

BERLIN (Reuters) - Siegfried Richtsteig has been waiting in hospital for more than 130 days for a heart that would allow him to do the things he enjoyed most, like playing with his grandchildren, before a stroke damaged the organ beyond repair.

But time is ticking. He is 64 and under German rules when he turns 65 he will not be eligible for a transplant as scarce organs are saved for younger patients in a country where some 10,000 are on the national waiting list.