UW Medical Center denies transplant, man dies

A Seattle musician was given days to live as he lay dying of kidney failure.

Timothy Garon, 56, was denied a liver transplant by the UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center. A week after being denied by the UWMC, Garon died May 1.

While the reason Garon was turned down for a liver transplant is unknown, his lawyer Douglas Hiatt believes it was because Garon used medically prescribed marijuana to ease the symptoms of hepatitis C.

The use of marijuana was under the supervision of his doctor and in accordance with state law.

Harborview would have reconsidered Garon’s placement on the liver transplant list if Garon avoided the drug for six months, and the UWMC would have reconsidered if he took a 60-day drug treatment program, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

According to a statement released by the UWMC, Garon’s case could not be specifically discussed. However, it did state that medically prescribed marijuana is not the primary factor in deciding if a patient is eligible for an organ transplant.

In the United States, 98,000 patients are waiting for organs. Only 6,000 donors are available, according to the statement. Given this scarcity, having a healthy lifestyle both before and after the transplant can increase one’s chances of receiving a transplant.

A week before he passed away, Garon told The Associated Press he probably contracted hepatitis as a teenager, sharing needles with “speed freaks.” However, the only drug he said he used recently was marijuana.

Garon was one of two lead singers for Seattle-based Nearly Dan, a cover band for Steely Dan. The music is a colorful blend of jazz, rock, pop and R&B.

“He was very passionate about his music,” said Jack Klitzman, saxophonist and songwriter for the band.

Garon managed to match the sound and quality of Steely Dan’s vocalist, Donald Fagan.

“Tim was ideal for our band, that’s for sure,” Klitzman said.

On the Nearly Dan Web site, there are clips of Garon singing at The Triple Door in Seattle.

“We’ll miss him,” Klitzman said.

The band is planning to play a memorial concert soon, perhaps with Garon’s son, Lennon Garon, singing in honor of his father.