Three Year Old Boy Denied Kidney Transplant has Been Hospitalized
A.J. Burgess, a three year old from Georgia, was born prematurely and left without a functioning kidney.Desperately needing a kidney transplant, it was found out that A.J.’s father, Anthony Dickerson, was a perfect match. Before the scheduled surgery though, Dickerson was arrested for a second violation of his parole. The surgery was scheduled for October 3rd at Emory University Hospital, just days after Dickerson’s arrest.
A.J. Burgess was born a month too soon without a working kidney and his father Anthony Dickerson is a 110 percent match for an organ donation. But surgeons at Emory Hospital in Atlanta won’t perform the operation because Dickerson served time in prison for violating probation. pic.twitter.com/MwdrmkmZHk
— mynewdayz (@mynewdayz) October 27, 2017
Because of the complication this created, A.J.’s family acted quick, and the family’s lawyer sent a letter to the jail Dickerson was being held at requesting that he be escorted to his pre- operation surgery the next day. While he was released on October 2, a day before the schedule surgery, the hospital pulled the plug.
“The Living Donor Transplant Team at Emory has asked Mr. Dickerson for evidence of compliance from his parole officer for the next three months. We will re-evaluate Mr. Dickerson in January 2018 after receipt of this completed documentation,” the hospital wrote in an official statement.
CBS46 reports A.J. Burgess, the little two year-old in need of a kidney transplant, develops pneumonia … pic.twitter.com/Sc9oAIeU99
— 🔴Channel 1 Atlanta (@channel1atlanta) November 1, 2017
Little A.J. may not make it to January 2018 though, as he was just hospitalized for peritonitis, which causes inflammation of the inner abdomen wall. A.J.’s mother wrote on his GoFundMe page, “A.J.’s spirit is strong but his body is not.”
It is irresponsible for Emory to worry about the politics of Mr. Dickerson’s situation, instead of worrying about the child’s life at stake.
We pray for a positive outcome for A.J., and that his family find strength and comfort in the support they are receiving across the country.
Photo/ Instagram: @donatelifeamerica
