The US twice denied a visa to a 20-year-old heart patient from Mexico in need of a transplant

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

The US twice denied a visa to a 20-year-old heart patient from Mexico in need of a transplant
Felipe Larios and Alberto Arce, Associated Press
Mar. 26, 2015, 1:00 AM


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In this May 2, 2014 photo, Jose Chua Lopez, left, holds hands with his mother, Myra Lopez Martinez, during a news conference in Hermosillo, Mexico.
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HERMOSILLO, Mexico (AP) — A young Mexican who urgently needs a heart and liver transplant has twice been denied a U.S. visa to go to the Mayo Clinic for treatment, he and his family said Wednesday.

Jose Chua Lopez, 20, was born with a heart defect and could die if he doesn't receive the transplants, said his mother, Myra Lopez Martinez.

"My world has fallen down," Chua said. "This needs to be fixed quickly."

Martinez said Chua has an appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in 10 days, but was turned down for a visa Tuesday by the U.S. State Department for the second time.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-twice-denied-a-visa-to-a-heart-patient-from-mexico-in-need-of-a-transplant-2015-3#ixzz3VTrWO2IN

[riversedge]

1. seems like the mix-up is a mistake--that

hopefully can be fixed quickly--the the patients sake.

....The organization's director, Kevin Forbes, said the case was mishandled at the U.S. Consulate in the northern city of Hermosillo, where Chua lives. He said that consulate officials processed an application for a tourist visa when they should have told Chua to apply for a humanitarian visa and that they then failed for weeks to respond to queries about his status.

"We have dealt with around two dozen similar international cases," Forbes said. "They have never denied us a visa. It's the first time this has happened."

Forbes said the family would file a visa application on humanitarian grounds shortly and he hopes the problem will be resolved in two or three days.

He called the situation an "absolute abomination."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-twice-denied-a-visa-to-a-heart-patient-from-mexico-in-need-of-a-transplant-2015-3#ixzz3VTtoKMFr

[FarPoint]

2. The rules are very rigid here in the US.

We lose people daily just waiting to be eligible to get on the list....Example, one needs to be smoke and nicotine free 6 months just to get on the waiting list. Most die before being placed on list.

This boy could get an LVad...Cheney had one.

[Downwinder]

3. Police States have few humanitarian values.

[FLPanhandle]

4. How does someone from another country get on the US waiting list for a transplant?

Sounds odd that US citizens die waiting for transplants and people from other countries can get in line ahead of them?

They must have money.

[LisaL]

5. I don't understand that either.

Considering how long US citizens have to wait for transplants, how could a foreign citizen get on the list for an operation in the US?

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

6. I do not know all the details on this case

but, having worked on a few humanitarian visa requests, you have to be able to explain in detail why the procedure must take place in the U.S. and not in another country.

I do not know the exact medical history for this boy, but perhaps the petition could not sufficiently explain why the U.S. is the only location able to operate on him. I read that he is in need of a double transplant; another potential complication in the visa request is that he may have to explain where the organs will be procured, as there are multiple waiting lists with thousands of people on them.

Cuba has excellent medical care, as does Canada. I know for a fact that the U.S. is not the only place where such a transplant could be performed. I understand his community has raised money on his behalf, but again these types of visa requests are complex and it's not just a question of the emotional issues, but also the brutal reality that the availability of viable organs for transplants is not sufficient to sustain the demand.

I cannot fault the U.S. government for denying the visa requests if there is insufficient supporting evidence to demonstrate that the U.S. is the only place where he can be treated.

The other question: there are multiple waiting lists for transplants in the U.S. How would he be able to bypass the long wait times and especially in light of the fact that he is not a U.S. resident (whether citizen, green card holder or authorized 'alien').

[LisaL]

7. They raised some money, but way less than millions such an operation would cost.

The family doesn't have money, according to the article.
I don't understand how he would get on a transplant list either.

[Judi Lynn]

8. US grants humanitarian pass to Mexico double-transplant patient seeking treatment

US grants humanitarian pass to Mexico double-transplant patient seeking treatment
Article by: ALBERTO ARCE , Associated Press
Updated: March 30, 2015 - 9:45 PM

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security gave a 90-day humanitarian pass to a 20-year-old Mexican man seeking a double heart and liver transplant, his mother said Monday.

The document, which Jose Chua received and a copy of which was shared with The Associated Press, grants him a temporary stay in the U.S. to seek medical treatment. It comes after Chua was twice denied a tourist visa.

"I don't have words to express my gratitude to everyone who has prayed for us and have helped us find a solution," said Mayra Lopez, Chua's mother.

Chua was born with only one ventricle in his heart, causing circulation problems that mean blood reaches only one of the four chambers. His liver has also been damaged and he needs a heart and liver double-transplant, a procedure that is not performed in his home country.

More:
http://www.startribune.com/world/298076591.html