Relatives of Vice President JD Vance are reporting that an Ohio hospital has denied their 12-year-old daughter’s placement on the heart transplant waiting list due to her vaccination status.

Jeneen Deal, a mother of twelve from Indiana related to Vance’s half-siblings through marriage, adopted her daughter Adaline from China when she was four, aware that Adaline had two heart conditions: Ebstein’s anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, which would eventually necessitate a transplant.

For nearly a decade, Adaline has been under the care of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, recognized as a leader in pediatric organ transplants.

This facility mandates that heart transplant candidates be vaccinated for Covid-19 and flu, as transplant recipients face significantly increased infection risks. Adaline’s physician confirmed her condition of heart failure to the family on January 17.

“My heart’s getting sick,” Adaline Deal told Local 12. “I get tired. My legs get too tired to stand.”

Deal and her husband Brayton, who practice non-denominational Christianity, assert that the vaccines contradict their religious and medical beliefs, leading them to decline inoculating their daughter.

They have openly shared their faith and skepticism regarding vaccines on social media.

After feeling compelled by their faith, the family decided against the vaccines, as stated by Deal in an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer. They claim the hospital is not accommodating their beliefs.

“The heart failure team informed me that she cannot be placed on the list unless we agree to give her the Covid and flu vaccinations. I was shocked to think they would let her die if we refuse,” she expressed in a Facebook post on January 27. “That’s their policy, she mentioned. It’s unbelievable!”

The Deals are now considering transferring Adaline to another transplant center that does not impose vaccination as a requirement. Meanwhile, they have successfully raised over $57,000 of their $100,000 goal via a GoFundMe campaign to cover transplant costs.

Deal noted she has faced criticism, being labeled a “bad parent” and urged to comply with the vaccination requirements for her daughter to be added to the transplant list.

“I know people are already judging. But I trust that we are doing what is right for her. Nothing should be imposed on us; it’s our God-given right to say no,” she stated in her conversation with Local 12.

On Wednesday, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital released a statement outlining their protocols for transplant evaluations and vaccination policies.

“Since children who undergo transplants will be immunosuppressed for life, vaccinations are vital in preventing or reducing the risk of severe infections, particularly in the first year,” the statement read. “These matters involve discussions between our providers and the patient’s family.”

The Health Resources and Services Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversee transplant registries in the United States, do not enforce a vaccination requirement, leaving policy decisions to individual hospitals.

The American Society of Transplant Surgeons supports the hospital’s vaccination policy for transplant candidates.

“Transplant candidates and recipients often interact with other vulnerable individuals in healthcare settings. The ASTS recommends routine vaccinations for all organ transplant recipients and those on waiting lists,” as stated on their official website.

The Independent has reached out to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Deals for further commentary.