The strict rules governing who gets organ transplants are also affecting an ailing 15-year-old boy in Georgia. According to local news reports, doctors say Anthony Stokes likely has less than six months to live. But he has been barred from receiving a heart transplant due to a so-called history of non-compliance. Family friends say they believe the designation stems from Anthony’s low grades and run-ins with the law. His mother, Melencia Hamilton, said she thinks the family’s lack of financial resources also played a role. Hamilton told Atlanta station WSB-TV the transplant is the only way to fix her son’s enlarged heart.
Melencia Hamilton: “They said that they don’t have any evidence showing that he would take his medicine, and he wouldn’t have any follow-up care. I know it’s wrong, because if they get to know him, they would love him.”