Man Denied Heart Transplant

yes 
On Tuesday, DJ Ferguson was in open-heart surgery to receive a mechanical heart pump, called a left ventricular assist device, which should keep him alive for up to five years, according to his parents, who worry about the toll the device will have on their son's quality of life.

abcnews.go.com/Health/boston-hospital-denies-heart-transplant-man-covid-19/story?id=82486765

May I ask where you read/heard that? I did some research and found that the transportation container of the organ has a tracking device and not the organ itself.

Exactly. Live by the sword die by the sword. As far as I’m concerned remaining unvaccinated is a choice. You have to live with the consequences. And his father can kick rocks with that media statement……it had the far right dog whistle buzzwords.

I completely agree. I think it’s irresponsible to give a public forum to this.

Just wait until they hear about what covid does to people!

This whole situation makes me so angry. Excuse me! He has a chance at life and because a public health crisis has been so politicized he isn’t going to take advantage of his gift.

Personal experience. My mother was a recipient of a donated kidney back in 1986, when organ transplants were in it’s infancy. There were quite a number of hoops that we had to jump through, including psychological, before being placed on the list. There was a lot of testing. My mother was placed on the list. We got a call one evening that a kidney was available. However, someone else on the list was a better match. The next time we got a call, my Mom was the better match. Rejection is real. It was hard and kind of touch and go until the anti rejection drugs were regulated. The drugs are expensive. We were told at the time that the life of a transplanted organ is about 15 years. It isn’t easy to have a transplanted organ and a kidney is one of the easiest. A heart and/or lungs has to be much harder to manage. My sister has had AFib and has a ventricular ablation from Brigham & Womens due to continual V-tach. She also has heart failure with her heart function down in the 25 range. So I have experience with this stuff.

My mother’s transplanted kidney failed after 14 years due to other complications. However, in the 15 years from the time my mother received her transplant, she was able to see all of her grandchildren born. She was instrumental in helping me keep my baby alive and thrive. She was the best “Grams” to my daughter. She was able to see my younger brother graduate and become successful. As a family, we are grateful for the “gift” of life that my mother received and also for the donor family who gave us this gift. Brigham & Womens is the best around and they know what they are doing.

My feeling is that this person and his family have an agenda. I feel they are using the Covid injection as a means of fund raising and getting attention. They have a political agenda as well. They don’t want to put out there that perhaps there are other reasons why he isn’t a candidate for a heart transplant. If they did a pump, then maybe he just plain isn’t a candidate for other reasons. Maybe there is some guilt involved with the parents - I don’t know. But why are the parents the ones that are taking their agenda public? Maybe they are getting paid by the anti vaxers of the GOP.

Not only is the idea of not doing everything you can to live and a simple vaccination standing between you and life extremely maddening, but the fact that they are so selfish bothers me as well. It is selfish to think that you would want precious, life saving organ, only to throw it away from someone else who is following the rules and protocol. It is extremely selfish to take the time and efforts of everyone on the transplant team. It is selfish to not get vaccinated during a public health crisis. It is selfish to think that it is only your “freedom” that matters.

The more I think about this, the more I am convinced that this is a bunch of BS. It is the parents jumping on a most convenient bandwagon to get 15 minutes of fame and get money. Sorry. I think he wasn’t eligible for a heart transplant for other reasons. I mean if he wasn’t eligible for one because of no vax, then why and how was he eligible for a pump for the same reason. I am seriously wondering if some of his issues weren’t caused by Covid in the 1st place, especially reading the post above. He is self employed and has been hospitalized for a couple of months now so it makes sense that they need money and need it now. I am still baffled why he wouldn’t have the vaccine, if that is the only reason. The family is saying he “could” die if he had the vaccine. Well, seems to me the way things are headed, he will die. I am done. I have wasted too much time thinking this through.

Title of the thread should be “man refuses transplant “