Adaline Deal, a distant relative of Vice President JD Vance, has been denied a heart transplant. An Ohio hospital refused to put her on the waiting list for heart transplant.
Adaline is currently 12 years old and has been suffering from two rare heart conditions since birth. Her mother, Jeneen Deal, is related to Vance’s half-siblings. Jeneen adopted Adaline from China when she was 4 years old despite knowing that she had heart conditions. Ever since the adoption, Adaline has been receiving treatment from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
As per the parents, she is suffering from Ebstein’s anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, and they always knew that she would require a heart transplant one day. To fund her treatment, the parents launched a GoFundMe Campaign and raised over $50,000.
They wrote on their campaign page, “When we were in the process of adopting her, the adoption agency told us we needed to pick another child because her heart was so bad she wasn’t going to make it. We continued to support Adaline so she could stay in a foster home, but shortly after we arrived home with our other adopted child, the agency stopped taking the funds out of our account. So, we thought she had passed away.”
“We started the process a second time to adopt from China, and we saw her little face pop up on the children needing to be adopted. So, we knew it was time to bring her home. She has excelled despite her sick heart,” they further told.
On January 17, her doctor confirmed that she was in heart failure. But the parents were not prepared for what happened next.
The hospital refused to put her on the transplant list because she is not vaccinated for COVID-19 and the flu. On the other hand, the parents didn’t get her vaccinated because of their religious beliefs. Jeneen and her husband, Brayton, are nondenominational Christians. As per them, the vaccines are against their religious beliefs, and therefore, they are not willing to inoculate their daughter, who is fighting for her life. They also added that their own research made them reject the vaccines.
The heartbroken mother expressed her agony and frustration to Local 12. She said, “I’m like, so if we don’t do the vaccinations, you’re just going to let my child die?” She revealed that the hospital staff replied, “I am so sorry. This is just our policy.”
Meanwhile, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital issued a statement to the new portal. It reads, “At Cincinnati Children’s, clinical decisions are guided by science, research, and best practices. We tailor care plans to each patient in collaboration with their family to ensure the safest, most effective treatment.”
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Even The American Society of Transplant Surgeons has supported the hospital in this matter. They said, “Transplant candidates and recipients frequently interact with other at-risk individuals in the hospital. The ASTS recommend[s] routine vaccination for all organ recipients and for those on the waitlist.”
Dr. Camille Kotton, clinical director of transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital, told The Cincinnati Enquirer that patients who suffer from severe illnesses have a much higher risk of death from infections such as COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the parents are not ready to get her vaccinated. Jeneed told Local 12, “People are going to say, ‘Make an exception. Get her on the heart transplant list!’ They’re going to judge you as a bad parent.”
“Yes, I’ve seen that they are already. But I just know I’m following our heart and what I feel is good for her. And nothing should be forced on us. I mean, it’s our God-given right. We can say no,” she added.
Adaline doesn’t have the time to wait. “Yeah, my heart’s getting sick,” she told the news portal. “I get tired. My legs get tired to stand,” explained the 12-year-old girl.
The next closest hospital in Pittsburg also doesn’t allow non-vaccinated people on the heart transplant list.
