Jesus Navarro could die without a kidney transplant. His wife is a match, she wants to donate her kidney to save her husband's life, and Jesus even has health insurance to cover the transplant.
But because Jesus is undocumented, the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center is refusing to perform surgery, essentially leaving Jesus to die.
Donald Kagan understands what Jesus is going through better than most. Donald immigrated from Nicaragua, and he needed (and received) a kidney transplant that saved his life. Donald is now a partner at a technology firm in Berkeley, CA -- and he has offered to pay Jesus's post-surgery medical bills. But UCSF Medical Center still says no.
Donald thinks it's unconscionable that UCSF Medical Center would deny Jesus medical treatment even though Jesus already has a willing kidney donor, insurance to pay for his surgery, and a benefactor to pay for his follow-up care.
So Donald started a petition on Change.org asking UCSF Medical Center administrators to allow Jesus to get the kidney transplant that could save his life. Click here to sign Donald’s petition right now.
When doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, one of the things they swear is that, "I will remember that I remain a member of society with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm." The administrators at UCSF Medical Center are forgoing their obligations as caregivers only because Jesus is undocumented.
After waiting for years for this surgery, Jesus was devastated to learn that it still might not happen. "He's afraid he might die," Jesus's sister told NBC News. "He might not see his daughter grow up."
The UCSF Medical Center administrators don't want a public relations disaster on their hands -- but that's exactly what they'll have if thousands of people sign Donald's petition and they still refuse to provide Jesus with the surgery that could save his life.
Thanks for being a change-maker,
- Jackie and the Change.org team
Posted By: Jen Fad
Tuesday, February 7th 2012 at 3:58AM
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