Should the Autistic Be Denied Organ Transplants?

Should the Autistic Be Denied Organ Transplants? » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: An autistic man has been denied a heart transplant, apparently because of his mental disability. From the AP story:

In a letter, dated June 13, 2011, Dr. Susan Brozena wrote: “I have recommended against transplant given his psychiatric issues, autism, the complexity of the process, multiple procedures and the unknown and unpredictable effect of steroids on behavior.” His mother said she was taken aback by the decision and noted that her son, who is diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, was upset by the decision, but optimistic that a transplant could come. “He just needs a fighting chance and the same rights to medical care as others his age,” she said in a statement. “Autism is not a terminal disease and we cannot allow it to become one.”

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