Tom Kulczewski of Brownsville says he couldn’t believe it when doctors told him and his wife that a heart transplant was not an option for their two and a half month old son Malix. Malix was born with Down Syndrome and a life-threatening heart condition. Kulczewski says the doctor said if Malix did not have surgery he would die within a year. The least riskiest surgery would give their son maybe ten years to live. The third and most risky option would give Malix a chance to live a long life. The doctor said a heart transplant was not an option, even though under the Americans with Disabilities Act, denying a transplant because of a disability is illegal. Malix underwent the third option and will soon be celebrating his fifth birthday. But Kulczewski says he doesn’t want other families to have to go through what his family went through. He contacted area lawmakers to see what could be done. Republican state representative Mark Born of Beaver Dam and state senator John Jagler of Watertown have introduced a bill that would prohibit an individual from being denied an organ transplant on the basis of a disability. Over the past couple weeks Kulczewski has testified before two legislative committees about what the legislation means to his family. The full assembly is expected to vote on the bill this month.
