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

[Ms. Toad]

208. Any article that repeats misinformation in its headline

is not a reliable source.

Non-compliant means he has a demonstrated history of not taking meds. His parents were told this but, understandably, believe that is not the real reason. Most parents (like most people in this thread) haven't spent the time hanging out with transplantees, transplant surgeons, organ donors, etc. to understand how critical medical compliance will be for the rest of this child's life.

Race almost certainly does play an indirect role in who is listed, though, because not only do you have to establish that you can be compliant with a complex medical regimen (taking meds, keeping appointments, living with what may seem like arbitrary restrictions on your activity), you have to prove you have the emotional, support, and medical resources to care for the heart after you receive it. Money (and family stability) plays a large role in that part of the analysis. Although neither of those are inherently race based, historical discrimination and our current justice system which puts large numbers of black males in jail, make it likely that (statistically) a larger portion of non-whites will not be able to establish that they have a stable support system, access to medical care that will be needed for the rest of his life to care for the heart.

In addition, because it costs money to be listed more than one place (and being listed more than one place means you get more than one shot at available organs), those people listed more than one place are more likely to be white. (You have to physically go to the second listing location, go through another battery of medical, financial, and psychological tests. You have to be willing and able to live in the second location for an extended period post transplant, and for at least part of that time you have to have a support system which is also able to relocate. All of which requires money, flexible employment, and strong stable (financially as well as emotionally) family support. Unfortunately, those also often correlate with skin color.

But - like I said at the beginning - any article which starts quoting something which is inaccurate (and inflammatory) doesn't even get a second glance from me.