"Mental Retardation", a word despicable unto itself, is a criteria being used by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to deny a young girl an organ transplant. A complete and expanded story, commentary and action plan is written by Stephen Drake at the blog....Not Dead Yet. It's a brilliant commentary on the disabled and organ donation. Please read it HERE and take action. Please forward to friends!
Simply, all life has value...the disabled have a right to life and no doctor, no committee, no hospital have the moral or ethical right to say that that a life is not worth living.....To assume that a life is not worth living places us in the same historical hell as Josef Mengele.
 |
| Hope lives here? Unless you're disabled... |
The mom's original blog about her experience: HERE
 |
| http://www.wolfhirschhorn.org/2012/01/amelia/brick-walls/ Amelia Rivera, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia No life saving kidney transplant because she is "retarded"! |
GREAT ARTICLE about the above situation: CLICK HERE
For all disability activists:
Some media sources you can contact to get Amelia's story out
http://www.wolfhirschhorn.org/2012/01/amelia/brick-walls/
http://www.facebook.com/cnn
http://www.facebook.com/WBRETV?sk=wall
http://www.facebook.com/PhillyDailyNews
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Philadelphia-News/129580433764477
http://www.facebook.com/phillyinquirer
http://www.facebook.com/6abc.ActionNews
http://ireport.cnn.com/
http://www.facebook.com/cnn?sk=wall&filter=1
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41625923
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=10
http://www.phillyautoshow.com/philadelphia-auto-show-black-tie-tailgate-announces-2012-event-beneficiary#comment-229
http://www.change.org/petitions/childrens-hospital-of-philadelphia-allow-the-kidney-transplant-amelia-needs-to-survive
http://www.caringforkids.com/Overview/Board-of-Trustees
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/contact-us/
http://www.courierpostonline.com/section/customerservice07
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Congressman-Robert-Brady/118845109487?sk=wall&filter=12
http://www.facebook.com/cnn
http://www.facebook.com/WBRETV?sk=wall
http://www.facebook.com/PhillyDailyNews
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Philadelphia-News/129580433764477
http://www.facebook.com/phillyinquirer
http://www.facebook.com/6abc.ActionNews
http://ireport.cnn.com/
http://www.facebook.com/cnn?sk=wall&filter=1
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41625923
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=10
http://www.phillyautoshow.com/philadelphia-auto-show-black-tie-tailgate-announces-2012-event-beneficiary#comment-229
http://www.change.org/petitions/childrens-hospital-of-philadelphia-allow-the-kidney-transplant-amelia-needs-to-survive
http://www.caringforkids.com/Overview/Board-of-Trustees
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/contact-us/
http://www.courierpostonline.com/section/customerservice07
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Congressman-Robert-Brady/118845109487?sk=wall&filter=12
There is link to the petition at Elizabeth's blog as well. I have signed it. They picked the wrong people for sure. I am surprised that this shocks people, however, Phil. You know as well as I that this goes on all the time...only done in more subtle ways.
ReplyDeleteI signed too and have been trying to rabble rouse..you are so right, this is a manifestation of continued and subtle indifference to needs of people who others judge as not worthy of life. I've labelled it the "Josef Mengle Complex".
DeleteThat's absolutely disgusting and outrageous. But if you are "abled bodied you qualify. In the UK there was huge controvesy about George Best's Liver transplant as he didn't fully combat his alcohol addiction.
DeletePhil and Claire you both sum it up perfectly about the problem lies with the people who "judge" who's worthy to live and who isn't!! and what is quality of life too.
Love
Mel
xxx
Here is the link for George Best:
Deletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Best
All I can say, Mel, is a big AMEN!!!
ReplyDeleteDisturbing! Disgusting! The transplant community itself is in need of a drug that makes it immune to bias and favoritism. My boyhood hero was Yankee Hall of Fame slugger Mickey Mantle, He was given a liver transplant in 1995---a liver damaged by Hep C, Cirrhosis (from alcoholism), and terminal/inoperable cancer. Mantle's prognosis was extremely poor and probably would not meet criteria most places, but he did at Baylor, probably over others who had waiter longer (I heard he waited ONE day) and had better chance of survival post surgery. I never felt quite the same about Mickey after his transplant, despite his remorse and sense of humor "If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I'd have taken a lot better care of myself".
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree with you more, Richard. The outpouring of support for Amelia has been resounding in both the disability and non-disability worlds, Strangely, on MLK day she could be the new Rosa Parks, by proxy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for lifting up your voice, Phil. If anyone would like to read other posts that have been written on this issue, take a look at Kim Wombles' blog. She has a long and ever-growing list.
ReplyDeletehttp://kwomblescountering.blogspot.com/2012/01/when-disability-community-works.html
Thanks Rachel. I have never seen the disability community so united behind a single issue since the battle for ADA...It is so very heartwarming to see the strength of response of so many advocates.
Delete