Push to end organ transplant discrimination for developmentally disabled and last updated 2021-05-25 16:01:12-04 CHICAGO â When it comes to getting an organ transplant, people with intellectual disabilities continue to face barriers. Misconceptions about their ability to comply with post-op requirements sometimes mean doctors and transplant centers have refused to put them on waiting lists. Charlie Robertson is a sweet, curious 5-year-old girl, who loves to pick flowers for her family. But Charlie, who has Down syndrome was born with a hole in her heart that didnât close on its own. âIt was kind of always in the back of my mind that if she needed surgery, something went wrong, she needed a heart transplant, she may be denied,â said Charlieâs mother, Lindsay.