Man denied lung transplant at Utah hospital for marijuana use dies
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PARK CITY — Riley Hancey, who was denied a lung transplant from the University of Utah after traces of marijuana were found in his system, has died from complications due to a transplant at a hospital in Philadelphia according to his family.
As KSL reported on April 10, Riley Hancey was suffering from a severe case of pneumonia he received around last Thanksgiving that left his lungs collapsed. He needed a lung transplant but was denied a spot on the transplant list at the University of Utah hospital because he had tested positive for THC — the main intoxicant found in marijuana.
Officials for the University of Utah said in a statement that they follow international guidelines and “do not transplant organs in patients with active alcohol, tobacco or illicit drug use or dependencies until these issues are addressed, as these substances are contraindicated for a transplant.” The hospital said that they follows international guidelines for transplants.
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Riley Hancey’s father Mark Hancey said that Riley Hancey had smoked marijuana with his friends on Thanksgiving of 2016, but had been drug-free for a year by the time of his illness.
Turned down by the University of Utah Hospital, the family searched the country for a hospital willing to perform the operation. Two months after being turned down the University of Pennsylvania agreed to perform the transplant. Riley Hancey was flown out on a medical transport and the surgery was performed.
Mark Hancey initially expressed optimism, saying that Riley Hancey “looked so healthy,” but then on Saturday, the family announced in a statement that Riley Hancey had died from complications of the transplant at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital
“It has been a long battle to save Riley’s life. We know that in our hearts we gave him every opportunity to survive. He will live in our hearts forever. Riley is now free to climb every mountain, ski the backcountry, go fishing, and run every river. He will continue to do so with his family in spirit,” the family said.
This article was originally published at KSL.com. It is used here with permission.