A heartbreaking controversy has erupted over the denial of a heart transplant for a 12-year-old girl due to her unvaccinated status against COVID-19 and the flu.
Adaline Deal, a young girl adopted from China, suffers from two rare and life-threatening heart conditions: Ebstein’s anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. Her condition necessitates a heart transplant, but Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has refused to put her on the transplant list.
The reason? Adaline’s family, devout Christians, claim a religious exemption against vaccinations. Hospital policies, however, require transplant patients to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu to minimize the risk of infections.
“We’re not anti-vaxxers,” Adaline’s mother, Janeen Deal, clarified. “We just don’t want our child to receive these specific vaccines.”
Medical experts emphasize that vaccinations are crucial for transplant recipients, who are more susceptible to infections. “The risk of death from a COVID infection is much higher for patients with severe conditions like Adaline’s,” explained Dr. Camille Kotton, clinical director of transplant and immunocompromised host infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The family is now frantically searching for a hospital willing to perform the transplant without requiring vaccinations. As their story spreads on social media, contributions to their GoFundMe campaign have surged from $1,500 to over $50,000.
This case highlights the complexities and challenges surrounding vaccination mandates, religious exemptions, and medical treatment. As Adaline’s family navigates this difficult situation, they remain hopeful that their daughter will receive the life-saving transplant she desperately needs.
