A heart transplant the recipient died in a Florida prison after days without the medication he needed to survive, People reports.
Dexter Barry has taken daily medication to prevent rejection of the new heart since the October 2020 transplant, reports GoFundMe page created by his daughter Janelle King.
While in the Duval County Jail in Jacksonville, Barry, who was arrested last November on a disorderly conduct charge, stressed the importance of handing over his medication to jail officials and a judge during his first court appearance. Inflow.
“I just had a heart transplant and I’ve been off meds all day because I’ve been shut down and I’m on anti-rejection meds to keep my heart from rejecting it and I’m almost two years old,” Barry said.
According to his family, Barry was never medicated. He died on November 23, 2022, a few days after his initial arrest.
“He was held in custody for three days when the police department denied him access to this life-saving medication,” the GoFundMe said. “He died tragically two days after his release.”
According to GoFundMe, Barry’s death certificate listed heart problems as the cause of death. The family believes in the circumstances of Barry’s death were not fully discovered.
“We are planning a private autopsy with the hope of gaining a deeper understanding of said ‘heart failure,'” the fundraiser said. “Our ultimate goal is to hold all responsible parties accountable for their actions.”
family lawyer Andrei Banderudargued that officials were unwilling to pay for Barry’s needed transplant drugs, which normally cost $2,400 for a 30-day supply.
“JSO has admitted that these are very expensive drugs and how disgusting it is if it turns out that it was JSO’s business decision that they would rather not pay for the drugs. They would rather risk death than make a business decision. This is one of the most egregious cases of JSO misconduct I have ever seen in this city,” Banderud said.
According to reports, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating the circumstances of Barry’s death and has not publicly commented on the incident.
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