Posted on 06 February 2012 by jpmassar
This is the story of Jesus Navarro. A man denied a kidney transplant of his own wife’s kidney “of a sudden” when his immigration status was discovered. Now there is a petition to right this wrong. To be sent to:
Sen. Barbara Boxer Sen. Dianne Feinstein Chancellor, UCSF (Susan Desmond-Hellmann) Executive Director of Transplantation (Reece Fawley) University of California Board of Regents Chair, UC Board of Regents (Sherry Lansing)
UCSF Kidney Transplant Center
From the Change.Org petition site:
Please join me in signing this urgent petition. Without a kidney transplant, an Oakland father named Jesus Navarro will die.
I was once in need of a transplant, but thankfully I was able to receive a kidney from a Nicaraguan friend of mine. UCSF never asked me if I was a legal resident.
Now, Jesus Navarro, a dedicated, hard-working family man who has health insurance needs this life-saving procedure. He even waited for 6 years to come to the top of the list for recepients. His wife is even willing to donate her kidney to him.
UCSF hospital has told Jesus that the only reason he would not be able to get a transplant is becuase of his immigration status. As I see it, this is a matter of life and death.
Jesus has received hundreds of messages of support stating that he should be allowed to receive a transplant. Immigration status should not determine someone’s fate.
Sign the petition to convince the UCSF Kidney Transplant Clinic to do the right thing and let Jesus receive this life-saving transplant. Thank you.
Why people are signing. A small sampling:
Its the right thing to do. We run to protect animals, this is a human beings life we are talking about more important then legal status is being human. This is a nation of Immigrants, only difference now they are vilified.
I know many undocumented immigrants who are registered as donors. Individuals who receive needed organs don’t ask if they come from legal citizens, do they? Immigration status shouldn’t matter in this case.
I am a nurse I cannot see this human injustice done to this human being…
I am a graduate of UCSF School of Medicine, Class of 1973. I am also a believer in the worth and dignity of every individual, without regard to race, religion, gender, national origin — or status of documentation! …
Doesn’t matter about his status he is a human being in need — medical personnel who follow the Hypocratic Oath cannot deny him. I pray they choose to do the right thing.
Now, there is a question of whether Jesus Navarro will be able, at some point in the future, to continue to receive the drugs he needs because of their expense. This is one of the arguments given by the board who rejected him. I consider this to be a red herring.
This man has a willing donor, his wife, whose kidney is not going to be donated elsewhere. He wants and deserves a chance at life. Perhaps he will win the lottery. Perhaps 100,000 undocumented workers and their friends will each chip in a $1 a year to provide him with the necessary medicines. Perhaps Michael Bloomberg will offer to put up $50,000 in matching funds. Perhaps a good many of the organizations signing a letter (below) will step up to help.
A decision to not give him the chance for life is above the pay grade of anyone on this planet.
Please sign the petition and help it go viral.
Organizations are stepping up to the plate to help Jesus Navarro. The following letter has been sent, signed by a plethora of Bay Area groups. As well, The Occupy Oakland Labor Solidarity Committee is considering whether to organize an action on Jesus’ behalf.
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, Chancellor Reece Fawley, executive director of transplantation University of California at San Francisco Sherry Lansing, Chair University of California Board of Regents
We, the undersigned, express our outrage that UCSF has used the immigration status of Jesus Navarro to deny him transplant services needed to save his life, and for which he is clearly eligible. This is a basic violation of his human rights, essentially condemning him
to die because of his immigration status.
People have a right to medical care, regardless of immigration status. It is unacceptable to our community that you deny care on this basis, especially because the death of Mr. Navarro is a likely consequence of it. Your actions violate international human rights law, and the sanctuary policy and other measures passed by the city of San Francisco, in which your center is located, which call for human rights and equality of treatment for all people, regardless of
immigration status.
Our community, which supports the UC system through the taxes we pay, stands for equality and human rights for all people who live here, regardless of immigration status. You are a public institution, and
we hold you accountable to our community for this outrageous action.
We demand that you immediately provide the necessary transplant needed by Mr. Navarro. Because your actions have inexcusably delayed his treatment, and as a result, he may lose his medical insurance during the time of recovery, we further demand that you provide all follow-up care and needed medicine, regardless of whether the cost is covered by
medical insurance.
We further demand that you make a public statement that you will no longer ask any patient about their immigration status, that you will no longer deny care based on immigration status, and that you will take affirmative steps to ensure that all patients at UCSF are treated
equally without regard to their nationality or immigration status.
Signed,
Alameda County United in Defense of Immigrant Rights (ACUDIR) Adrienne Lauby, radio journalist American Friends Service Committee Asian Law Alliance Asian Law Caucus Bi National Front of Indigenous Organizations California Association of Retired Americans California Health Professional Student Alliance California Nurses Association California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee Campaign for a Healthy California CARECEN SF Causa Justa :: Just Cause Catriona Rueda Esquibel Central Valley – Sierra Progressives, Progressive Democrats of America Centro Legal de la Raza Chinese for Affirmitative Action Chinese Progressive Association Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) Democracy for America Dignity Campaign for Real Immigration Reform Dolores Street Community Services East Bay Refugee Forum Filipino Advocates for Justice Filipino Community Center (FCC) Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights – CLUE Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice Mujeres Unidas y Activas National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights NNIRR Oakland Catholic Worker Oakland Community Action Network (CAN) PAWIS, Santa Clara County Physicians for a National Health Program – California Priority Africa Network Progressive Democrats of America- California San Francisco Gray Panthers San Francisco Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines San Francisco Organizing Project UAW local 2865 UAW Local 5810 UCSF RN and CNA member United Auto Workers, Local 2865
Young Workers United
Please sign the petition and help it go viral.
