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Hospital Refusal of Heart Transplant for Unvaccinated 12-Year-Old Sparks Controversy
A family member of Vice President JD Vance has voiced concerns after an Ohio hospital denied her 12-year-old daughter a place on the heart transplant waiting list due to vaccination status.
Jeneen Deal, a mother of twelve from Indiana and related by marriage to Vance’s half-siblings, adopted her daughter, Adaline, from China when she was four years old. Adaline has been battling two serious heart conditions—Ebstein’s anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome—which were known at the time of her adoption. It was anticipated that these conditions would eventually necessitate a heart transplant.
For nearly a decade, Adaline has been under the care of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, recognized as a leading institution in pediatric organ transplantation. However, the hospital’s policy mandates that all patients on the heart transplant waiting list must be vaccinated against Covid-19 and the flu. This requirement serves to mitigate the elevated risk of infection faced by organ transplant recipients. On January 17, the physician informed the Deal family that Adaline was experiencing heart failure.
“My heart’s getting sick,” Adaline expressed during an interview with Local 12. “I get tired. My legs get [too] tired to stand.”
Deal and her husband, Brayton, both of whom follow a non-denominational Christian faith, have stated that their beliefs prevent them from vaccinating their daughter. The couple has shared their stance on vaccines through posts on their social media accounts. They claimed their decision was guided by their faith, stating, “the Holy Spirit put it on our hearts.” The family is frustrated that the hospital would not accommodate their beliefs.
“The heart failure team told me they won’t put her on the list unless we give her the Covid shot and the flu shot. I was like, you would let her die if I refuse,” Deal wrote on Facebook on January 27. “How nuts is that!”
Given the situation, the Deals are exploring alternative transplant centers that do not impose a vaccination requirement. In the interim, they have launched a GoFundMe campaign aiming to raise $100,000, of which they have already secured over $57,000 to help cover transplant costs.
Despite the backlash, including being labeled as “bad parents” for their refusal to vaccinate, Deal remains resolute, stating, “I just know I’m following our heart and what I feel is good for her. It’s our God-given right. We can say no,” she asserted to Local 12.
On Wednesday, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital issued a statement regarding its transplant policies, emphasizing the critical importance of vaccinations for children undergoing organ transplants. The hospital noted, “Because children who receive a transplant will be immunosuppressed for the rest of their life, vaccines play a critical role in preventing or reducing the risk of life-threatening infections, especially in the first year.” The hospital further explained that such policies involve discussions between healthcare providers and the patient’s family.
The Health Resources and Services Administration, along with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, have not established a federal mandate for vaccination, allowing hospitals discretion in their policies. The American Society of Transplant Surgeons supports the position of the hospital on vaccinations for organ transplant candidates and recipients, stating, “Transplant candidates and recipients frequently interact with other at-risk individuals in the hospital. The ASTS recommends routine vaccination for all organ recipients and for those on the waitlist.”
The Independent has reached out for additional comments from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Deal family.
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