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Family Says Keck USC Delays Left Long Beach Father Too Weak for Heart Transplant

Strict transplant rules plus scarce donor hearts shape who gets listed.

Image
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Rhett Pascual in a hospital bed with his daughter holding a "Get Well Soon" drawing, Image 2 shows Rhett Pascual with his wife and daughter in front of a Christmas tree, Image 3 shows Rhett Pascual, a bald man with a beard, sitting on an examination table with his hands clasped and a paper resting on his lap

Overview

  • Rhett Pascual, 53, has been hospitalized at Keck Medicine of USC since February with heart failure after cardiomyopathy and a stroke, and as of Thursday he was not publicly confirmed on the transplant list.
  • His family says the hospital first refused to start listing because of financial paperwork even though he has insurance.
  • They report that after weeks passed, doctors told him he may now be too weak to qualify, so he is working in physical therapy to regain strength for consideration.
  • Hospital officials declined to discuss the case, citing patient privacy rules.
  • A family GoFundMe has raised about $41,000 of a $45,000 goal, and coverage notes that listing decisions hinge on survival odds, recovery prospects, and a shortage of donor hearts.