Pleasant Hill, IOWA — After 16-year-old Alexander Betts Jr. passed away following a suicide attempt, his family chose to have his organs donated. His heart, liver, kidneys and lungs were all donated to recipients in need. His eyes, however, were not. The young man’s eyes were rejected for donation, not because of any medical condition, but due to the fact that he was gay.
His mother Sheryl Moore reports that his death came after years of bullying because of his sexuality, having a cleft lip and being mixed-race. Moore, who was already devastated over the loss of her son, says that the rejection of his eyes because of his sexuality caused a fresh wave of pain. She also reported initially feeling incredibly angry about the situation and she was unable to understand why a teenage boy’s eyes would not be acceptable for donation.
Apparently, the Food and Drug Administration does not allow homosexual men who have had sex with another man in the past 5 years to donate certain tissues because of a believed increased risk of exposure to HIV. The eyes are included in this.
Unfortunately, Moore was unable to say with certainty whether or not her son had had sex prior to his death and so his eyes could not be accepted.
Many are critical of this policy and say that not only is it extremely outdated but it also contradicts other policies regarding the issue. For example, a man who has had sex with an HIV-positive woman is only restricted from donation for one year following the encounter.
The American Medical Association has voted to end the ban and the FDA has stated that it is open to making policy changes but no such change has been enacted as of yet. It is the hope of many that this change in policy will come in the very near future.
In today’s society everyone has experienced someone judging them based off their race, religion, culture, sexuality, appearance..ect, the list could go on forever. There is no such thing as a perfect person unless it’s your own definition of “perfect” or your personal opinion on the subject. But we all are different and don’t share the same interests with one another. However, we are all human and we all have the same rights, It doesn’t matter where you are from, how you look, how you talk, and who you love and care for. We are all the same when it comes to our rights. So why can’t Sheryl Moore mother of 16 year old Alexander Betts Jr. donate her sons eyes? Because he was gay. Well that shouldn’t of mattered, he was only 16 years old and was bullied for his sexuality, being mixed-race and for having a cleft lip. He suffered years of being bullied which later on lead to his death caused by suicide. Even in death Alexander is still being bullied. I believe that the doctors should of used his eye’s so that another part of Alexander could still lived on forever. Everything of his were perfectly healthy and could have of been to good use for someone else at some point. But because he was gay the doctors had rejected his eye’s for donation because “ apparently, the Food and Drug administration don’t allow homosexual men who had sex with another man in the past 5 years to donate certain tissues because of a believed increased risk of exposure to HIV.”
So according to the FDA they don’t allow homosexual men who had intercourse with another male in the past 5 years donate certain tissues, but if a man has sexual encounters with a woman who is HIV positive it is only restricted from donation for one year following the encounter. Basically the FDA have a stronger belief that homosexuals can increase the rate or risk of exposure to HIV if they donate tissues if they had intercourse in the past 5 years, however a straight male and a female who is HIV positive can donate tissue a year the following encounter happened. I disagree with the FDA strongly on this subject and so do many people on the matter. In the article it say’s that “ Many are critical of this policy and say that not only is it extremely outdated but it also contradicts other policies regarding the issue.” Not only that but later on in the article it say’s “ The American Medical Association has voted to end the ban and the FDA has stated that it is open to making policy changes but no such change has been enacted as of yet. It is the hope of many that this change in policy will come in the very near future.” Now going back to Alexander, this healthy young teenage guy who was bullied and felt like he didn’t fit in anywhere so he committed suicide should be resting in peace. Not still being bullied and dealing with this kind of pain. Even though his eye’s couldn’t of been donated at least his kidneys, liver, lungs and his heart were able to. At least a part of him will be able to live forever, and will be taken care of by someone else. As I said before, we are all human and have the same right’s, doesn’t matter how you look, how you talk, and who you love and care for as individuals.