Seattlest relies on local news sources and the AP for the vast majority of our news stories and information. Of course, the AP and other local news sources are not infallible and mistakes are made. As a responsible news source that we hope you trust, we want to make sure that if an article we post proves to be inaccurate, the corrections are duly noted.

While using the best information we had at the time, Seattlest inaccurately posted regarding the tragic death of Timothy Garon. The AP has issued a correction regarding Garon's death and we have talked with the University of Washington Medical Center about the issues surrounding Garon's transplant. The UWMC sent us the following statement to share with you:

We can't speak specifically about this patient's case due to patient privacy laws. I can tell you that although medical marijuana may be an issue in rare cases, it is never the sole determinant in arriving at medical decisions about candidates for organ transplants, and whether a patient is listed. UW Medical Center follows an extensive evaluation process to determine whether organ transplant candidates should be listed. Patients with a reasonable chance of survival and a good outcome, given a variety of factors, are listed.

Currently, in a given year, there are approximately 98,000 patients waiting for organs in the U.S. and only 6,000 donors available. Because of this scarcity of organs, the listing process is often rigorous. Those patients who have done -- and continue to do --everything they need to ensure a healthy lifestyle pre-and post-transplant will have the best chance of a good outcome.

The Liver Transplant Committee looks at all health care issues to comprehensively evaluate the patient from a medical and psychosocial standpoint. In addition, the committee looks at a number of other issues, including behavioral concerns such as a history of substance abuse or dependency. If such a history exists, then the Committee looks at the period of abstinence the candidate has demonstrated to date, efforts made to maintain this abstinence, and the potential to abuse again. The Committee also factors in the patient's long-term history of social stability and ongoing medical compliance, as these are the best predictors to maintain graft survival following transplant.

Again, our apologies for our inaccurate coverage of the story.

photo courtesy Grundlepuck