Teen Added to Heart Transplant List After Hospital's Change of Heart, Family Says

[hue]

Source: abc News

The family of Anthony Stokes, the 15-year-old boy who was denied a place on the heart transplant waiting list because of "non-compliance," now say doctors at a George hospital have changed their minds.

Anthony has an enlarged heart and has been given six months to live, but Anthony's family said doctors told them that they wouldn't put him on the transplant list because of his history of "non-compliance." This typically means a patient hasn't shown that he can follow medical directions, such as taking his medicine or showing up to follow-up appointments.

"I know he will comply with all the rules," a crying Melencia Hamilton, Anthony's mother, told ABC News earlier today, before she said she learned that doctors had reversed their decision would put Anthony on the transplant list. "He will take his medicine because he knows that is how he has to live."

Hamilton said she thought doctors made their decision to deny Anthony because he had low grade and trouble with the law.

"He was just fighting," Hamilton said. "Trying to take up, just trying to take up for his brother because somebody was bullying his brother."
She said she wishes everyone could get to know her son.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/hospital-mind-teens-heart-transplant-denial-family/story?id=19950600

[Atman]

1. "Change of heart?" unlikely. More like too much bad PR.

Read the text carefully...they merely "put him on the list" again. It doesn't mean he'll ever get his new heart, but it takes some heat off the hospital.

[GreenStormCloud]

2. Many people on the list don't get new hearts.

There are 3,000 people on the list and about 2,000 hearts annually.

The new organ has to be tissue matched. If it doesn't match you, you don't get it. The closer a person is to you genetically, the more likely that the tissue will match. Because Blacks are a minority, there are far fewer available hearts that are likely to match. That has nothing to do with racism, it is just a fact of math.

The person has to be available, instantly, 24/7/365. If they can't be contacted when a matched heart is available the hospital goes to the next person on the list that is a match.

Even on the list, his odds are small. The hospital is well aware of all of that.

[sybylla]

3. Then why take him off?

I mean, we give organs to 60yo people who need them not because of some genetic/physical deficiency but because they abused their body for 40+ years. This system needs to be blind. Worst/first come-first served.

[nilram]

6. wut? who mentioned racism, in this thread or in the article, except in your post?

[Skittles]

4. more like shamed into doing the right thing

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[quadrature]

5. how did they vote?

the members of the death panel...

how did they vote,
first time and last time,
on a heart for Anthony?

[telclaven]

7. There is no heart

All it is is inserting his name back on the list.

The sad fact is, as a black youth, his chances of a matched heart are slim. Few blacks have donor status. I don't know why, I think it might be a combination of not properly educating the community on the importance of being an organ donor and a lack of faith in the system.

Good luck to him.

[MicaelS]

8. So now transplants are going to be decided by PR?

Who gets the most publicity, who can generate the most sympathy gets the transplant? Instead of letting the professionals who train for this make the decision?

[sgsmith]

9. Yes.

Worked for the little girl who needed a lung transplant. In fact, she got two transplants.

[MicaelS]

10. Exactly my point.

I was hoping someone would pick up on that.

[hue]

11. Anthony could at least receive an artificial heart to extend His life--there are several options

Several new artificial options exist and more are on the way...

SOUTHWEST: A former soldier receives artificial heart

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_heart

[Evasporque]

12. Racist Doctors Change Mind after caught being racist...nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. good