A heart wrenching case that is putting a toddler’s life at stake has been called out by its mother who claims that an Atlanta hospital is unfairly endangering her 2-year-old son due to its father's blunders.
As she was speaking to WGCL, Carmellia Burgess said that her son, A.J., was born without kidneys and needs a transplant.
The toddlers father who has been identified as Anthony Dickerson, is willing to offer his kidney to his son since he is a perfect match.
"That's all I ever wanted was a son," Dickerson told the television station. "And I finally got him, and he's in this situation."
The situation is getting more complicated after Emory University Hospital officials sent a letter to the toddler’s father claiming that the surgery would be delayed until Dickerson shows that he complied with the conditions of his parole for three months, the surgery was scheduled for the 3rd of October.
"They're making this about Dad," Burgess told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It's not about Dad. It's about our son."
Anthony Dickerson has been in trouble several times with the law and he was arrested sometime last month after violating his probation.
Initially, that appeared to be a non-issue until a request was made to the Gwinnett County jail by Emory’s Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program asking for a temporary release.
"If Mr. Dickerson could be escorted to Emory for blood work and a pre-operative appointment tomorrow, September 29, we will be able to continue with the scheduled surgery," the Sept. 28 letter says.
Unfortunately, Burgess got the letter from the hospital saying the surgery would be delayed until Dickerson can provide documentation from his parole officer showing compliance for the next three months.
"We will re-evaluate Mr. Dickerson in January 2018 after receipt of this completed documentation," the letter said.
The hospital’s decision really upset Burgess who believes that the move is endangering her son. "He's only 2," she told WXIA. "He don't deserve this. We've been waiting so long for this."
Janet Christenbury, who is Emory spokeswoman revealed that privacy regulations bar her from issuing specific information on the hospital's patients. The spokeswoman did not speak more generally concerning how criminal history could affect an organ donor’s eligibility.
"Guidelines for organ transplantation are designed to maximize the chance of success for organ recipients and minimize risk for living donors," she said in an emailed statement. "Transplant decisions regarding donors are made based on many medical, social, and psychological factors."
Source: http://abc13.com/health/toddler-denied-kidney-due-to-fathers-criminal-history/2543184/
