Parents: Disabled Toddler Denied Kidney Transplant

Dale Hurd
January 18, 2012

Chrissy and Joe Rivera of Stratford, N.J., say they were shocked when a doctor at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia told them their 3-year-old daughter Amelia was not eligible for a

"He had told us she wasn't eligible for a transplant because of 'mental retardation,' was the word he used," Chrissy Rivera said.

"It was upsetting, and I think it was handled the wrong way," Joe Rivera added.

Amelia has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic condition that has mental and physical effects. She can't walk or talk, but she communicates with her eyes and smile.

"We just love her. She is part of the family," her mother said. the rest