- http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_19854392?source=pkg
- http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_19863138?source=pkg
- http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_19890600?source=pkg
- http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_21702319/uc-san-francisco-performs-kidney-transplant-illegal-immigrant?source=pkg
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Julia Prodis Sulek, another BANG reporter, wrote a follow-up story this October. I tipped her off, but did not write the story because I had left the Contra Costa Times to work at another publication.
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
The stories ran from Janury through October of 2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
This Contra Costa Times series about the plight of an illegal immigrant seeking an organ transplant not only allowed the subject of my reporting receive a lifesaving transplant, but also spurred the largest transplant center in the West to revise its policies regarding transplantation for illegal immigrants. The stories also sparked intense debate from CNN to Univision about whether the medical community has a moral obligation to perform transplants on illegal immigrants, who may have trouble paying for needed medication down the road. I heard about the case of a sick father denied a kidney transplant because of his immigration status during several months of reporting on an immigration raid at an Oakland steel plant. I had been looking for a way to explore the moral and legal quandaries that arise when U.S. immigration policy smashes into the U.S. health care system, and Jesus Navarro’s situation looked like an ideal way in. I tracked Jesus down through a network of Spanish-speaking sources and began looking into the maze of conflicting health care and immigration policies that had prevented him from getting his transplant. When I met him, Jesus had medical insurance, a willing donor in his wife, and a young dependent daughter (who was a U.S. citizen). And yet his caretakers said he had less than a year to live. This was a situation that nobody would want, regardless of their place on the political spectrum. And yet it was the only possible result of UCSF’s transplant policies, which at that time required all patients to show they could pay for anti-rejection medications for the rest of their lives, even if they lost their jobs. Illegal immigrants do not qualify for U.S. social safety net programs, and so were excluded. I teased the story out over through weeks of Spanish language interviews with the Jesus and his family, and multiple consultations with his doctors and social workers. My articles led to offers of help from state politicians, the Mexican consulate and doctors around the country. They also inspired a petition that gathered 150,000 signatures and a #savejesus twitter campaign.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I immersed myself in the medical literature to get a good sense of life expectancy for someone in Jesus’ position. I also surveyed bioethicists around the country about the dilemma UCSF found itself in. UCSF turned down all my requests for data and documents, including intake forms for transplant candidates, statistics regarding past transplants refused or granted to illegal immigrants, and Jesus’ own records (they would not provide a HIPAA form).
Explain types of human sources used.
The most difficult part of this project was gaining the trust of my main subject, Jesus Navarro, who had spent years waiting for a kidney transplant only to be told at the last moment that the University of California, San Francisco would not perform the surgery because of his legal status. I first heard about his plight while reporting on an immigration raid at the Oakland steel plant where he worked, but I could never seem to get in touch with him. I got a lucky break when a steel worker I was shadowing on his last day at the plant handed me Jesus’ phone number. I spent weeks talking with Jesus and his family in Spanish, following him to dialysis appointments, and getting to know his social worker and nurses. He had never spoken with the media or nonprofits, even as his desperation grew, because he had been scared of losing his job. Now he was more scared of dying. We had long conversations about how to shield the identity of his wife and family, who were also in the country illegally. The project also presented a reporting challenge. UCSF declined to speak with me for the story except in general statements, and repeatedly refused to give Jesus a HIPAA form so that we could speak with his doctors. I relied on Jesus’ nurses and social worker, and transplant experts around the country to establish a timeline and verify the family’s recollections.
Results:
Our first story about Jesus made national headlines. At first, UCSF continued to decline to comment. Later, the hospital said Jesus had misunderstood his situation. Finally, when confronted with statements from city councilmen, a resolution from the University of California student government and more than 130,000 signatures from all over the country, UCSF reversed course. The hospital now asks patients about their immigration status at the beginning of the transplant process, not at the end, and works with people here illegally to ensure that they can receive their transplant regardless of their financial situation. This matters because UCSF is the fifth largest transplant center in the U.S. and one of the most respected medical institutions in the world. Its policies set the standard for hospital administrators across the country. As for Jesus, he got his transplant in time to take his daughter trick or treating this fall.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
One article misidentified Reece Fawley, executive director of transplantation for UCSF. Fawley is a man.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
With a story like this, there is no substitute for source building. Jesus spoke almost no English, had been sick for years, was in the country illegally, and was wary of the U.S. media. The only way I was able to win his trust was by spending lots of time with him and his family. While the afternoons and evenings spent with Jesus usually did not feel particularly productive on the surface, they were essential to doing the story right. After the story ran, I received many calls from other illegal immigrants who said they’d had similar experiences with California transplant centers. They asked me why no reporters had delved into the issue before. I think one reason is no one had been able to make the time to build a relationship with a patient like Jesus.