At WKEF/WRGT, Kelly May reports on Jackie Ward, a Shelby County mom who is pushing to change Ohio law after her daughter was denied a heart transplant, doctors said, because of her Down Syndrome.
Currently, Ohio law is silent on the issue, there's nothing that says either way that developmental disabilities can play a role in deciding who gets an organ transplant.
House Bill 332 would make it illegal to make developmental disabilities a deciding factor.
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i n Ohio there's no law that says people with developmental disabilities should have equal medical access to organ transplant.
Miamisburg Representative Niraj Antani (R - Directict 42) is a primary sponsor of the bill and said, "They're told that they won't be able to follow the post operation regimen, their body won’t be able to handle it, or that its implied that their life is less worthy and that's wrong."
The bill passed unanimously in Ohio's House of Representatives this week.
"To most people it's shocking that this is even something that we have to pass a law about," Jackie said.
Thankfully, after Ellie was denied the transplant, she defied the odds and survived the risky heart surgery, but Jackie says that doesn't mean she won't need a transplant in the future.
