Randy's Story
The excitement in Randy’s family over his son Cody’s acceptance to the U.S. Naval Academy turned to disappointment when they learned that Cody has a hepatitis B infection. Even though monitoring and treatment have advanced considerably, the U.S. military does not admit people living with the virus. Randy hopes this policy can be changed, and he continues to support Cody in moving on and embracing a hopeful future.
Discussion Questions and Answers:
What makes the military policy barring people with hepatitis B so unfair? (The Department of Defense is not using the most up to date clinical guidelines – the current policy violates the ADA, and it’s also outdated, given the advances in treatment and care for hepatitis B, which can considerably lower a patient’s viral load. Additionally, hepatitis B is vaccine-preventable, and the vaccine is required for all incoming military personnel.)
How does Randy respond to learning that his son cannot attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis after all? (At first, Randy and the entire family are very disappointed, but now they are trying to move on and encourage Cody to envision a different future rather than letting his hepatitis B status define him. Randy also hopes his family’s story can help bring about change in the military’s outdated policy regarding hepatitis
B.)