Dying Black Teen Denied Heart Transplant Due Partly to Low Grades and Trouble With the Law

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52. Atlanta boy goes on transplant list after earlier refusal: family

Source: Reuters

Atlanta boy goes on transplant list after earlier refusal: family

By David Beasley
ATLANTA | Tue Aug 13, 2013 6:06pm EDT

(Reuters) - A 15-year-old Atlanta boy went on the waiting list for a heart transplant two days after his family complained he was unfairly rejected because of past failure to take medicine and show up for doctor's appointments, his family told a TV station on Tuesday.

Anthony Stokes has an enlarged heart and could have less than six months to live without a transplant, his family said. Relatives told Atlanta television station WSB that Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Hospital had reversed course and added him to the wait list on Tuesday.

The family did not say why he was uncooperative, and the hospital would neither confirm or deny the reason, citing patient privacy.

"As we stated previously, a heart transplant evaluation is an ongoing process based on the patient and his or her family's ability to meet specific transplant criteria," the hospital said on Tuesday. "Our physician experts are continuing to work with this family to establish a care plan and determine the best next steps for the patient."

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/13/us-usa-georgia-heart-idUSBRE97C0YY20130813