Georgia teen denied life-saving heart transplant due to ‘non-compliance’

Although I have not had an organ transplant, due to a serious immune system problem, I am on azathioprine, which is one of the main drugs used to prevent a patient from rejecting their donated organ as it works to suppress the immune system.

I had to undergo a multitude of tests prior to being given the drug and have to attend for regular blood tests to ensure that the drug is not affecting any other organs.

I am prone to infections and often have bouts of severe nausea and fatigue, due to the fact that my immune system has effectively been "turned off"

I missed one blood test appointment because I felt really ill and unable to drive to the appointment, and immediately received a phonecall from my GP surgery asking me to come in the following day regardless of how I felt as they needed to monitor my blood. My results get sent to my consultant, who will phone me if he sees any anomalies and I have to go and have further blood tests to check for various problems..I have had so many blood tests since January that it is extremely painful now (due to the scarring that has built up) and I have to alternate between each arm just to make it bearable.

Part of my pre-screening required a cervical smear test which showed I had CIN2 and as Azathioprine can increase the risk of cancers developing, my consultant has insisted that I have the LEEP procedure to remove the damaged cells and have a series of repeat smears to ensure the abnormal cells do not return. I was not too happy about this and initially refused the treatment. However, he said that if I don't have the procedure done, he will discontinue the Azathioprine as the risk of cervical cancer is very high....that of course would leave me back at square one with all of the health problems associated with my original condition, which will probably involve me being hospitalised on a regular basis and my condition can deteriorate to a point that it can be fatal.

So, I've got a choice of complying with all of the instructions of my doctors and regaining a (mostly) normal life, though I may have to remain on Azathioprine for a minimum of 10 years, or possibly for the rest of my life, or living with agonising pain and debilitating illness. Obviously I choose the former option, but it's not an easy ride and there are some days I just want to say screw it, but the latter option is just a premature death sentence, so I have to buck up and suck it up, regardless of how I feel.

Therefore, I can understand the decision process of the doctors, they have a really tough choice and they have to be assured that the patient will comply 100% or else the treatment will fail. Now for me that just means I'll suffer and I'll cost the NHS a lot of money, but for a transplant patient, that most valuable organ will go to waste and not only will the recipient die, but so will several other people who could also have benefited from that organ but if the doctors make the right choice about the recipient, although others will die, at least one person has the chance of a life.

reply to post by chrismarco


The "Death Panels" have been around since at least the first transplant. Until you come up with a way to have enough organs to go around for everyone that needs one, they're going to exist.

This is an example of the lack of compassion in humanity.

Hopefully, they'll open their hearts and give him the heart transplant. Have mercy.

There's a severe lack of organs needed for surgery and if you were presented the choice between two people. The first person is a very sweet person, kind, caring, never did anything criminal and has had excellent grades in school. This person is very on the ball and would never miss taking medication. This person will likely continue to be a law abiding citizen.

The second person is someone whom has been very tardy for class, has been involved with the law, has terrible grades, and based on his history, he can't be trusted to take his medicine on time and will likely waste an organ. This person will likely continue to do criminal things for the remainder of their life.

You have to give the new heart to one of these two, which one to you pick? You have to pick ONE because there's only one heart available. Make your pick. Given the circumstances, the second person is least likely to be favorable by the majority because logically we see it as a waste.

Originally posted by CaticusMaximus
Organs are very valuable, and there are not enough to go around for to all those who need them. Doctors need to objectively evaluate the situation and determine who is the most likely to benefit the greatest from the organ, and not squander it.

If this person has reliability issues, and may not follow up with procedures like meds and other things, that puts them at an objective disadvantage when other people who need the exact same heart have a proven track record of reliability and are more likely to make it last.

Its really not that hard to see the logic behind it.

For all the bleeding hearts here who are outraged just to be outraged and crying "murder!", use some rudimentary logic... if this person gets the heart, someone else DOES NOT, and they die instead.

Would you go and cry for that person, then? The one who didnt get the heart, If this person DID get the heart? Are you so sure that other person was not more deserving?

Nah... I doubt it would have even crossed any of your minds.

edit on 8/13/2013 by CaticusMaximus because: (no reason given)

First come first serve unless the person being evaluated is a legal adult and has a blatant disregard for his/her own health.

Fair is fair. If John gets the heart, Jim dies, but John needed it first, should we give it to Jim because John had worse grades?


WTF, it's absolutely selective murder.

Also, having reliability issues with schooling at 15 [which is totally normal for a 15 year old] is not even directly comparable to "you need this to stay alive."

Claiming the likelihood of one affects the other is absolutely fallacious. I was a terrible teenager, I skipped school, I had bad grades [by and large, because I skipped school.]

I'm getting married and I have a job that pays me around a grand a week, I'm a musician that provides entertainment on my own time, I look after kids and take care of my family, I even donate to charity.

To think these doctors would have killed me if I needed a heart at 15 is absolutely absurd!

Originally posted by HomerinNC
called legalized murder, they dont like you, they deny you treatment

Welcome to Obamacare, in a nutshell.

reply to post by ButterCookie


Yes, because Obamacare started with the first transplant list. It's been around for decades already.

reply to post by goou111


I believe the issue is one of wanting to be sure the person is responsible enough to do all that is needed to have a chance of the transplant being a success. The sad fact is that t here are MANY more in need of such a transplant than there are donors, and for one that isn't responsible to take a needed organ, then waste the chance, through irresponsibility, would mean another person, who would be more responsible, would miss the chance, and die as a result. The irresponsible recipient would most likely die as well, meaning no one was saved. Such transplants come with a lot of issues, and someone with a record of irresponsible behavior is a large risk.

I am disgusted at these kind of choices made by hospitals just because of his skin color.
When will people ever learn...

reply to post by AFallingFeather


It had nothing to do with his skin color, but with his being too irresponsible to follow up properly. There are MANY people waiting on a donor, and some other person would not receive the heart if he did. Then, if his behavior caused him to die anyway, who would be helped?

Originally posted by arpgme
This is an example of the lack of compassion in humanity.

Hopefully, they'll open their hearts and give him the heart transplant. Have mercy.

So who do you think should die then? Because someone has to.

Really some people cannot see past the end of their own noses at times...read a few lines of an article, see a picture and make a snap judgement without for one second stopping to think about any of the reasons behind a decision.

When you are on a drug like Azathioprine, which he would be after a transplant, you have to follow a strict regime, additionally after a transplant, you have to follow a strict regime. If the patient is not going to do that, they will die, what a waste of an organ.

And how many hearts do you think are available for transplants? And have you any idea about the procedures for organ transplant in that not all donor material is suitable for a particular recipient. Even if you are approved for the transplant list, the chances are that you will most likely still die on the waiting list due to the lack of available and suitable hearts.

And this reply is to everyone saying, "Oh it's cos he's black" ...errr wtf..No or "just give him the heart"...err what heart, the ratio to patients awaiting suitable to donors to available and suitable organs is seriously out of proportion, with the majority of patients dying due to a lack of organs.

Sheesh it's not the doctors being harsh, it's a harsh reality of waiting to go onto the transplant list, and then there's the harsher reality of being accepted onto the transplant list and still dying because no suitable organ becomes available in time

reply to post by Laykilla


First come first served? What? Have you any idea of how many people have major illness requiring transplant? A thousand people probably died from their heart condition whilst the panel of doctors met to discuss this case, so he's not the first in line, what about the 55 yr old man who has had heart disease for 15yrs...he's probably before this boy, or any other number or people who may or may not have made it on to the transplant list, and who may or may not have died whilst waiting on the list or told for whatever reason that they're not suitable for the list

Do you realise how stupid your argument sounds..first come first served. Like there's only 3 people in the world who have need of a heart transplant...

NO WAY, the guy is smart! That's how to LIVE hello??? More like he'd probably die going along with everything. He's far more likely to live as a result of STAYING AWAY!!! Ya smart kid

reply to post by spartacus699


You actually make a valid point, even being on the list and getting a suitable donor heart is not guarantee of success, there is still a very high mortality rate in transplant patients, mainly due to the organ being rejected by the recipient's immune system, which is why it is so important that all follow up procedures and taking medication is vital to decrease the chances of that happening, still doesn't rule it out though, so even if he gets a heart, follows all the requirements, he still might die...

murder I tell you murder /sarcasm

reply to post by goou111

A Georgia teenager in dire need of a new heart was denied a transplant after doctors determined that his history of poor grades and prior issues with the law did not provide “evidence” that he would attend doctor’s appointments or take his medication.

Can a hospital access a minors school and police records ?

Surely the boy is currently on medication and one would imagine that he would have regular visits to a GP - has he attended these appointments and taken the required medication to date?

Is his heart condition congenital or acquired ? If acquired did it involve drink/drug abuse - or some other deleterious behaviour.

I would need more "evidence" than poor grades and a few run-ins with the law.

What a decision to have to make !

reply to post by destination now


God doesn't give someone the wrong heart. His heart is fine I'm sure. And all this voodoo cursing I'm sure has him quit confused and thinking his heart is no good. That's why I'd never go see a dr they'll give you a voodoo curse! My goodness we're living in the dark ages.

reply to post by UmbraSumus


Maybe that's why he has been denied, the medics would not allow his records to be public knowledge, and as such we don't know if he has missed appointments and not taken medication, but the chances are that he has not followed procedures and that is why. The grades thing is probably a side issue, remember this is his mother who is making these claims.

reply to post by spartacus699

God doesn't give someone the wrong heart. His heart is fine I'm sure. And all this voodoo cursing I'm sure has him quit confused and thinking his heart is no good. That's why I'd never go see a dr they'll give you a voodoo curse! My goodness we're living in the dark ages.

Try telling that to my late father who died suddenly at age 47 of a massive heart attack! That was back in 1974 before they had the type of heart surgery that they do now.

I also would be dead if not for life saving treatment I received from 2011 to the present day, nothing to do with voodoo curses, it happened all by itself...

Originally posted by destination now
reply to post by spartacus699

 

God doesn't give someone the wrong heart. His heart is fine I'm sure. And all this voodoo cursing I'm sure has him quit confused and thinking his heart is no good. That's why I'd never go see a dr they'll give you a voodoo curse! My goodness we're living in the dark ages.

Try telling that to my late father who died suddenly at age 47 of a massive heart attack! That was back in 1974 before they had the type of heart surgery that they do now.

I also would be dead if not for life saving treatment I received from 2011 to the present day, nothing to do with voodoo curses, it happened all by itself...

I'm sure that's what the dr's would love for people to believe. That they know it all, and are the only cure for anything. big money making scheme if you ask me.

reply to post by goou111

Usually these kind of things are looked at very extensively, and I am guessing his doctor has met with him on more than one occasion. If they have a lot of evidence, or if the patient seems passive with keeping current appointments to see his doctor, then what would make them believe he would be compliant? What if the patient doesn't care? Some people are like that no matter what is thrown at them...
I have heard of doctors telling patients they are going to die, and they go home and continue to eat unhealthy foods and smoke and drink, and it kills them anyway. Somebody that will take care of themselves deserves that heart. It may seem harsh, but if he wants it and is eligible for it, he will get it.
With that being said though, I think due to privacy laws that the hospital has to adhere to, the media was not given the entire story from the hospital, which is probably the deciding factor for the hospitals 'vagueness' to the press. I think there is more going on with this kid than the family is willing to admit.