Mother of gay teen who committed suicide outraged at FDA ban on gay organ donation [View all]

[Playinghardball]

A mother who tried to bring meaning to her gay son’s tragic suicide by having his organs donated was shocked to learn that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations prevent gay men from donating non-lifesaving organs, The Des Moines Register reports.

Sheryl Moore’s 16-year-old son, A.J. Betts, took his own life after facing years of being bullied for being openly gay. She kept his body alive for four days after he was declared brain dead specifically so his oxygen-deprived organs could recuperate enough to be viable for transplants. His heart, lungs, and kidneys were all eventually harvested for transplantation, but his bone, tendons, heart valves, and eyes were not.

When she asked the Iowa Donor Network why those organs had not been harvested, she was told it was because of an FDA policy barring sexually active gay men from donating non-lifesaving organs.


“I’ve heard that people can donate their eyes,” Moore recalled telling the Iowa Donor Network, “and I was just wondering whether there was a reason A.J.’s eyes weren’t donated to somebody. The folks immediately responded to me, ‘Yeah, that’s because he’s gay.’”

“I would have loved to look into his eyes again,” she added, “even if they were inside someone else’s head.”

More here and see the video at:http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/18/mother-of-gay-teen-who-committed-suicide-outraged-at-fda-ban-on-gay-organ-donation/