Hospital Denies Heart Transplant Because He's Autistic

[Neptunus Rex]

Gents, In ten years here I've never posted an email in outrage until I read the following story this morning:

http://www.toledoblade.com/Medical/2...sm-debate.html

As a father of a son with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, it enrages me to think that if he needed an organ transplant to survive, he would be "unqualified" because of his ASD.

I urge you to go to the site below to sign the parents petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/help...art-transplant

Thanks!

[Fubar2Niner]

Done and done my friend. Best of luck

[BossMark]

Signed and the very best of luck.

[Betonov]

Not a parent nor US citizen, but signed it.

Hope it works

[Jimbuna]

Signed...good luck.

[Herr_Pete]

Signed it mate. Good Luck!

[Sailor Steve]

I've known an autistic person who has accomplished much more in life than I have. This young man deserves a chance to do the same.

Signed.

[Betonov]

I heard or read somewhere that Einstein might have been autistic.

[Dowly]

I don't envy those who have to make these decisions.

[u crank]

Signed. You're doing a good thing to bring this here.

[CaptainHaplo]

As a parent, my heart breaks for this family.

However, I cannot in good conscience sign any such petition. Per the article, it is not because he is autistic that he is being turned down. It is because his psychological issues (in addition to his autism) require him to be on medications that creates unacceptable risks during recovery. Whether due to chemical reactions, or the mere reality that he may have to forego his psychological medications for a time - make the concerns for his post surgery therapy very reasonable.

The reality is there is a serious question about his ability to choose to actively recover as needed. Without his meds, he is likely to be unwilling to conform to a treatment plan. Simply put, the additional factors - of which his autism is one - make him far less than an ideal candidate. Given that people die when they are much better candidates simply because organs are not available - means that such hard decisions are necessary.

[Platapus]

While it is understandable that the family want's to make people think that the decision is solely based on autism, it appears that autism was only one of the reasons given.

in a letter, dated June 13, 2011, Dr. Susan Brozena of Penn Medicine, wrote: "I have recommended against transplant given his psychiatric issues, autism, the complexity of the process, multiple procedures and the unknown and unpredictable effect of steroids on behavior."

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/healt...se-he-autistic

I would be interested in learning more about his psychiatric issues as well as the effects of the medication on his medical condition before opining.

In other reporting, his mother says that he takes over 20 different medications each day. Perhaps the "unpredictable effect of steroids on behavior..." is a valid concern. After a heart transplant, he would be taking even more meds for the rest of his life.

I think this family's attempt to make this only about autism is a manipulative way of stirring up an emotional response. It seems clear that autism is only one of several factors under consideration. Naturally, it is in the best interest of the family if people can get spun up about this being focused on autism.

Here is a nice article that attempts to explain both sides of this issue.

http://www.xojane.com/issues/was-pau...e-hes-autistic

As this article states, this family is free to get second opinions and because they were refused at one hospital, does not mean that another won't approve them.