Transplant DENIED Because of Intellectual Disability
If you haven’t caught on yet, I’m in a bit of an advocacy kick. It’s just my calling right now. So I’m taking it and running. My friend Kristen sent me a story today about a little girl in Pennsylvania. Amelia is 3 years old and needs a kidney transplant. The good news is she has a family donor who is a match. The unimaginable news? The doctor refuses to perform the surgery. He asks, how could a girl have such a quality of life that would warrant this life-saving procedure? He is angry that parents could fight for their child so passionately. AND THEN….he has the audacity to tell them that this has been hard on him. Oh, I can only imagine.
This super-mom, Chrissy, has her own blog. Reading her entry about this situation infuriates me and literally my blood is boiling. But don’t get me wrong…this mama is one tough cookie. She gives it right back to the doctor and the social worker who try to tell her that Amelia isn’t worthy of a transplant because she is mentally retarded. But they leave the conference room with no support from the staff. You NEED to read her story here.
You are welcome to include a post on it after the about.com story and there is a link to the Facebook page for the hospital. Feel free to leave a message of disapproval like I did. I hope this angers you like it did me. This is one instance where this could become a grassroots effort to make a difference for this little girl.
Thanks for blogging about this, Jessica. It’s a real issue that people need to think about as we head towards more universal healthcare where resources will become more limited. And then there will be those that will make decisions for us. Not the world I was really envisioning for my child.
Kristen,
I agree completely. It’s a crazy world when a doctor denies treatment for a child because of something completely unrelated. If I can do my best to spread the word, then I will be happy with that. And thank YOU for keeping me in the loop with these stories! We could be a real force to reckon with!