<div><p>Riley Hancey, a 19-year-old from Salt Lake City, Utah, is a lot like other teens his age. He works at a ski resort, loves to play sports with his friends, and enjoys traveling with his family. But last month Hancey was fighting for his life in a hospital after his lungs collapsed.</p><p>A bad case of pneumonia hit Hancey just after Thanksgiving, and since then he had relied on machines to breathe for him. He needed a life-saving double-lung transplant, but the hospital stunned the teen's family by removing him from their transplant list.</p><p>The reason? Hancey tested positive for marijuana when he was admitted to the hospital.</p><div><figure><a href="https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=imgres&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwiw9dSVjrHTAhVD7YMKHSXkD5gQjxwIAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.change.org%2Fp%2Fu-s-department-of-health-human-services-add-riley-hancey-to-the-transplant-wait-list&psig=AFQjCNHUxx9K3nV66VyHApP1-9mBfBdGOQ&ust=1492711596456164" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/hancey1.PNG" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/hancey1_GH_content_550px.PNG 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/hancey1_GH_content_650px.PNG 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=imgres&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwiw9dSVjrHTAhVD7YMKHSXkD5gQjxwIAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.change.org%2Fp%2Fu-s-department-of-health-human-services-add-riley-hancey-to-the-transplant-wait-list&psig=AFQjCNHUxx9K3nV66VyHApP1-9mBfBdGOQ&ust=1492711596456164" target="_blank">Change.org</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p></p><p>The University of Utah Hospital won't comment on Hancey's specific case, but say they're following guidelines set out by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. In a statement, they said the following:</p><p>"Generally speaking, we do not transplant organs in patients with active alcohol, tobacco or illicit drug dependencies or abuse until these issues are addressed, as these substances are contraindicated for a transplant."</p><p>Hancey admits to smoking marijuana with his friends on Thanksgiving, but says that was the first time he used the drug in over a year.</p><div><figure><a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/alysonmartin/smoking-pot-can-get-you-kicked-off-transplant-lists-even-in?utm_term=.saP95d1B0#.uib3jo6X5" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/Hancey2.png" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/Hancey2_GH_content_550px.png 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/Hancey2_GH_content_650px.png 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/alysonmartin/smoking-pot-can-get-you-kicked-off-transplant-lists-even-in?utm_term=.saP95d1B0#.uib3jo6X5" target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p></p><p>After transferring to another hospital, Hancey was finally able to get the life-saving transplant, but his family still question why the teen had to wait so long.</p><p>While he's recovering now, an organ transplant is a life-changing procedure with lots of extra costs, and Hancey's family is trying to raise money to support him.</p><p>"Riley is young and should have his whole life ahead of him," they wrote. </p><p>"His family is not prepared to let their son go without a fight."</p><p>You can support Hancey by donating to his <a href="https://www.youcaring.com/rileyhancey-755941">YouCaring page</a>. </p><p><strong>What do you think of this story? Share this post and tell us!</strong></p></div>
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