A 12-year-old girl in Indiana, Adaline, is facing life-threatening complications from two heart conditions and has been receiving treatment at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for nearly a decade. The family recently discovered that their daughter would need to receive COVID-19 and flu vaccinations to be placed on the transplant list due to her high risk of infection as a transplant patient.
The hospital refuses to honor a religious exemption, citing its policy of tailoring care plans to each patient in collaboration with their family while following guidelines from the National Institutes of Health. The family is now considering taking Adaline to another transplant center that won’t require her to be vaccinated.
According to Dr. Camille Kotton, patients who receive transplants are at a higher risk for severe illness and death from infection due to long-term immunosuppressants. Other factors like lifestyle or lack of social support can also affect a patient’s ranking on the transplant waitlist.
The family is now receiving financial support through their GoFundMe page, which has jumped significantly after their story was shared on social media. An Ohio bill introduced by Rep. Jennifer Gross aims to prevent children from being refused medical care due to vaccination status, sparking hope for families facing similar situations in the future.
Source: https://eu.cincinnati.com/story/news/2025/02/11/girl-denied-heart-transplant-cincinnati-childrens/78328436007