Los Angeles (KABC) – The double lung transplant patient died after a fight for reporting from his health insurance company.
Deron Wells passed away last week a few days after being featured on the transplant list.
The man fighting stage 4 lung cancer was preparing to fly across the country for a life-changing double lung transplant when the insurance company refused to cover him.
Family and friends say they wanted to share his story and his fight for insurance coverage, hoping to save others facing similar battles.
“In his death, unfortunately, things can change and there's hope that the next patient will be able to get that care so that his 11-year-old son doesn't grow up without his dad,” said Scott Kern, a friend of Wells.
Wells leaves his wife and three children behind. He is placed to rest on Saturday.
Wells' story was initially a word of mouth when he and his wife said they had approved procedures that would allow Signa to be airlifted to Illinois.
However, as they prepare to leave UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, Signa refused to cover the transplant because it is not the standard treatment for lung cancer and the insurance company does not cover clinical trials.
However, Wells' appeal was ultimately approved.
Deron Wells has been fighting for months to get a double lung transplant and has had to fight his health insurance company.
Previously, Wells was on the list of transplants and received a call saying he had a donor, but his health was in turn and the doctors were unable to proceed with the transplant.
The 59-year-old has been mostly sedated since his flight from UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center to Chicago.
His serious condition has made him a priority on the transplant list.
a gofundme It was originally founded to help Wells' family with medical costs concentrate on supporting his family.
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