Hospital Denied Undocumented Woman Liver Transplant

An undocumented mother was denied a liver transplant by Oregon Health & Sciences University because she could not provide documents proving she was legally living the in the United States. According to KPTV, Silvia Lesama-Santos received a letter from the hospital denying her the transplant because she does not have "lawful presence."

The letter, which was shared by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, explained that "OHSU requires proof a lawful presence for transplant services." The letter explains that the requirement is to help the hospital determine if the patient will be capable of paying for the expensive procedure and all the post-operation requirements. 

The hospital quickly reversed course and terminated the policy, issuing the following statement:

It was brought to our attention this evening that an archaic transplant policy was preventing an undocumented individual from being evaluated at OHSU. Upon learning of the policy, OHSU leaders acted immediately and terminated the policy. We deeply regret the pain this has caused the family.

OHSU is committed to serving our entire community -- all are welcome at OHSU, and this policy does not reflect our values.

The OHSU transplant team is informing the family of our change in policy... OHSU's legal team has begun a system-wide audit to ensure no other such policies exist.

According to OregonLive.com, Lesama-Santos will start the process of receiving her new liver, but due to her deteriorating health, she may not be able to travel to Seattle for the surgery. Doctors also worry that she may not survive the surgery, even if she has it in Oregon.