Dying Teen Is Being Denied A Heart Transplant Because He’s Had Trouble With The Law

[Aerows]

65. My uncle had a heart transplant

He lived with us when I was a teenager. The man was on more medication than you could shake a stick at to prevent rejection. He lived with my family because he could not be alone anymore due to the strict regimen of medication he needed to take around the clock. You don't simply get a new heart and it's business as usual.

Organs are very precious and hard to come by. They have to establish that the person receiving one has the best chance at living once they get one. That includes a strong support system to help with their care. My Uncle Harry had that, and it gave him a new lease on life. But there was no way he could do it on his own, and without having responsible people around him.

I don't know anything about this young man, but I do know what it's like to live with a heart transplant patient. It's not like setting a broken bone and suddenly it's all better. Not in the slightest. It's a life-long commitment because anti-rejection medication is a must and that comes with it's own complications.