Georgia toddler denied kidney transplant due to father's criminal record

[riversedge]

Source: abc


Nov 2, 2017, 8:00 PM ET



A Georgia toddler desperately needs a kidney transplant, and his father was deemed the perfect match, but the operation was canceled due to the father's criminal record. Now, the little boy is fighting for his life as his family pleads for help.

A.J. Burgess was born a month early and without a working kidney. Now 2 years old and weighing just 25 pounds, A.J. was set to receive a kidney last month from his father, Anthony Dickerson, who was tested and proved to be a perfect match.

Dickerson was arrested in December 2016 for violating his probation on weapons charges, according to criminal records. He vowed to give A.J. a kidney once he got out, the boy's mother, Carmellia Burgess, told CBS affiliate in Atlanta WGCL-TV.

"He made it his business to say, 'Once I get out, I'm going to promise to my son that he can get a kidney,'" she told WGCL.

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In a press conference Thursday evening, the family revealed that “talks have reopened” with the hospital and they are expected to meet Monday. ..........................

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/georgia-toddler-denied-kidney-transplant-due-fathers-criminal/story?id=50885879

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All parties need to get together and get on with the transplant.

Link to tweet

[rurallib]

1. the article doesn't mention who made the decision

whoever it is must have no heart.

[csziggy]

3. Apparently Emory University Hospital made the decision

And it seems to be more a matter of paperwork, verifying that the father is compliant with his parole:

In a letter dated Sept. 28 provided to ABC News by the family's attorney, Emory University Hospital asked Gwinnett County Jail's solicitor officer if Dickerson could be escorted to the hospital for blood work and a preoperative appointment on Sept. 29 in order to continue with the scheduled procedure.

According to criminal records, Dickerson was released from prison Oct. 2. But in a subsequent letter provided to ABC News by the family's attorney, Emory University Hospital announced it was canceling the Oct. 3 operation that could potentially save A.J.'s life.

"Mr. Anthony Dickerson has been approved to donate a kidney to his 2-year-old son who is a patient of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta," the letter states. "The Living Donor Transplant Team at Emory has asked Mr. Dickerson for evidence of compliance from his parole officer for the next three months. We will re-evaluate Mr. Dickerson in January 2018 after receipt of this completed documentation."
http://abcnews.go.com/US/georgia-toddler-denied-kidney-transplant-due-fathers-criminal/story?id=50885879

In this case I don't understand why they are requiring three months of compliance.

[rurallib]

9. thanks

[FarPoint]

2. That is not a denial reason on the Transplant Criteria.

I doubt this story .

[xor]

7. I hope you're right, because this makes zero sense otherwise

Whatever it is, I hope the kid is able to get the transplant he needs.

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. Only thing I could figure makes sense to the story...

This is Georgia. And the family is black, sez the video at the link.

Also from the story, daddy got into jail- again- on charges of violating his parole via armed robbery, for teh 2nd time.
It might be the hospital is aware of a drug problem that rules out the operation.

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. His father has been denied as a donor

because of his inability to stay out of jail.

"Dickerson was arrested in December 2016 for violating his probation on weapons charges, according to criminal records. He vowed to give A.J. a kidney once he got out, the boy's mother, Carmellia Burgess, told CBS affiliate in Atlanta WGCL-TV.

"He made it his business to say, 'Once I get out, I'm going to promise to my son that he can get a kidney,'" she told WGCL.

Dickerson was released from jail six weeks later and he was scheduled to undergo surgery at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on Oct. 3 to donate his left kidney to his son. But he was arrested on Sept. 28 for violating his parole again for possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies as well as for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, according to criminal records."

Donating a kidney is a big surgery and prison isn't a good place to recover.

[dembotoz]

5. funny detention not deemed a problem for that 10 yr old with cp that ice detained

[Chemisse]

8. An unpleasant recovery is better than a dead son.

I don't understand why he can't donate while in prison.

[Honeycombe8]

6. I don't see why the father has to get out of prison. He can donate in prison, can't he? nt

[GeorgeGist]

10. There are no ORs in prison.

[rocktivity]

14. So pay a few officers overtime to escort him to and from the hospital

They're just going to let the kid die?


rocktivity

[jmowreader]

15. Georgia has a hospital prison

http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/GDC/FacilityMap/html/S_50000190.html

There is also the option of taking the prisoner to a civilian hospital for the kidney removal surgery, guarding his room while he recovers from it and returning him to jail after the hospital releases him.

[Honeycombe8]

16. I see. Where for pregnant women, they are taken to hospitals under guard. nt

[Drahthaardogs]

12. Because they have to take care of him so he does not die

Or he will sue. They likely cant

[LiberalLovinLug]

11. So his kidney has to prove that it is a good upstanding law abiding kidney?

Maybe its worth the wait and risk. I mean, perhaps after three months of parole and sober reflection on it's hosts bad decisions in life, it will be a better kidney. Set a better example for this little boy.

[Cold War Spook]

13. My son is in prison in Florida.

He is not donating a body part, but he just had major surgery on his back. They had to open him up along his spine. This was done in a public hospital in Jacksonville. This boy's father would be considered an upstanding citizen compared to my son. Just do it. One state wants a felon to live and another state wants a young boy to die.