15-year-old denied heart transplant, told he has only 6 months left to live

(http://www.medicaldaily.com) Anthony Stokes, a 15-year-old boy from Atlanta, has only six months left to live because he has an enlarged heart. While his life could be saved with a heart transplant, doctors from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston are refusing to put his name on the transplant list, claiming that the unfortunate youth has a "history of noncompliance."

After telling Stokes that he had less than a year to live, specialists sent his family a letter which read: "The decision was made that Anthony is currently not a transplant candidate due to having a history of noncompliance, which is one of our center's contraindications to listing for heart transplant."

Melencia Hamilton, Stokes's mother, told local news channel, WSBTV, that the hospital where he had been cared for since July 14 is denying her son life because of his poor academic performance and run-ins with the law. "They said they don't have any evidence that he would take his medicine or that he would go to his follow-ups," she said.

"He's been given a death sentence because of a broad and vague excuse of noncompliance," said Christine Young Brown of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. "There was nothing specific in that decision. Just noncompliance."

"The well-being of our patients is always our first priority. We are continuing to work with this family and looking at all options regarding this patient's health care. We follow very specific criteria in determining eligibility for a transplant of any kind," read a statement from Patty Gregory, spokeswoman for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.