In Letter, Senator Casey Calls on Experts to Immediately Address Whether Kids Under 12 Are Substantially Disadvantaged, Issue Appropriate Guidelines
With Questions Raised About Policy’s Fairness, Senator Says Sick Children Are Owed Swift Answers
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) called for an emergency meeting of key medical experts in order to examine whether existing policy substantially disadvantages the chances that sick children have to get lung transplants. In a letter to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, Senator Casey noted the concerns that have been raised on behalf of young children across the country who are sick and awaiting organ transplants. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network is the entity with authority to issue these guidelines.
“Legitimate questions have been raised about whether existing transplant policy substantially disadvantages very sick children,” Senator Casey said “An emergency meeting is necessary to address the needs of these very sick children, who are running out of time to get the lungs they need.”
The full text of Casey’s letter can be seen below:
John Roberts, M.D.
President, OPTN Board of Directors
USCF Medical Center
Room M-896, Room 0780
505 Parnassus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94143-0780
Dear Dr. Roberts:
I write to ask you to immediately convene the Executive Committee of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to review the lung allocation policy, specifically whether the current policy is putting children under 12 at a disadvantage.
I understand that you have scheduled a meeting for Monday, June 10, but given that there are a number of children under 12 who, like my constituent Sarah Murnaghan, are desperately ill, I believe immediate action is warranted, and that there is no time to waste. While Sarah’s chances of receiving a lung transplant have improved, the temporary restraining order has not addressed the issue for other children under the age of 12 who are similarly situated. As a result, at least one other family with a child under 12 has filed for a temporary restraining order like Sarah’s. In the interest of clarity and fairness, I ask that you take immediate action to clarify the lung allocation policy for all children.
I understand that these are highly charged issues, literally matters of life and death. As an elected official, I cannot substitute my judgment for that of medical experts who perform and support life-saving organ transplants every day. However, I believe that an immediate and expedited review of the current policy is warranted, especially because they affect decisions regarding the allocation of lung transplants to children.
Thank you for your attention to this most important matter. If you or your staff have any further questions about this matter, please contact my office.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
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