Transplant Recipients & Jury Duty

It is everyone's civic duty to report for jury duty. All too often, people do their best to get out of jury duty. These people feel it is a waste of their time and they don't want to miss work even though they are getting paid just the same. So, when Greg received his little white envelope in the mail, my immediate thoughts turned to contacting the transplant coordinator for a jury duty waiver letter. However, Greg made the decision to show up.

Today is the first day of jury duty for Greg. With a backpack filled with papers, a couple of books, all his morning anti-rejection and other transplant drugs, and a surgical mask, he walked out the door shortly after 7 am and headed for the courthouse. He planned on demonstrating his civic duty and showing up to the courthouse as requested but, we both know he will not be chosen for a jury for several reasons:

1. His mask will be a dead giveaway that he is not "normal" and has health concerns.
2. He is required to take his transplant and anti-rejection medications at specific times during the day and cannot be late on any medication - not even if the trial is in session.
3. His health will be placed at risk due to the small confinement of the jury room and courthouse. There is no way to protect himself and the mask only gives him limited protection.
4. He could have organ rejection at any moment and have to be pulled from the middle of a trial to enter the hospital.

These reasons alone would keep him from getting selected to a jury. Sure, he would love to get picked and have to sit in on a trial but the risk to his own health and the stability of the trial make him an unlikely candidate. Nonetheless, he still marched over to the courthouse to show his loyalty to his country and the rights of its citizens - even if he is a double lung transplant recipient!