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A relative of Vice President JD Vance reports that an Ohio hospital has denied a 12-year-old girl from being placed on its heart transplant waiting list due to her vaccination status.
Jeneen Deal, a mother of twelve from Indiana connected to Vance’s family through marriage, adopted Adaline from China at the age of four, knowing she would need heart surgery due to two diagnosed conditions: Ebstein’s anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.
For nearly ten years, Adaline has been under the care of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, a leader in pediatric organ transplants. On January 17, her doctor informed the family that Adaline was experiencing heart failure.
“My heart’s getting sick,” Adaline shared with Local 12. “I get tired. My legs get too tired to stand.”
The hospital mandates that patients receiving heart transplants be vaccinated against both Covid-19 and the flu due to the heightened risk of severe infection for transplant recipients—something the Deals are unwilling to comply with for their daughter.
Jeneen and her husband, Brayton, who belong to a non-denominational Christian group, express that receiving vaccines contradicts their religious and health beliefs, and they refuse to vaccinate their daughter.
Both parents have been vocal about their religious and vaccine hesitancy on their social media platforms.
The mother stated that they made this decision after “the Holy Spirit guided us,” according to an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer. They claim the hospital does not respect their beliefs.
In a social media update on January 27, Jeneen expressed her frustration: “The heart failure team informed me that Adaline will not be put on the transplant list unless she receives the Covid and flu vaccinations. I couldn’t believe it – are they really willing to let her die?”
In response to media scrutiny, Jeneen told The Independent on Thursday, “Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is feeling pressure from calls and media coverage, yet the transplant team hasn’t clarified if they will reconsider their stance on adding Adaline to the transplant list.”
The Deals are exploring other transplant centers that might not impose vaccination requirements for their daughter.
Meanwhile, the couple has raised over $58,000 towards their $100,000 goal through a GoFundMe campaign to assist with transplant costs.
Jeneen expressed that many have criticized her parenting choices and urged her to have her daughter vaccinated to secure a spot on the transplant list.
“Yes, I’ve seen the criticism. However, I trust my instincts and my decisions for her well-being. We believe that nothing should be forced upon us; it’s our right to say no,” she conveyed to Local 12.
On Wednesday, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital issued a statement regarding their transplant eligibility and vaccination requirements.
“Since organ transplant recipients are on lifelong immunosuppression therapy, vaccinations are vital in protecting against severe infections, particularly during the initial post-transplant phase,” stated the hospital. “These policies are determined through discussions between our medical providers and the family.”
It is important to note that the Health Resources and Services Administration, along with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has not imposed any blanket vaccination requirement—leaving vaccination policy decisions to individual hospitals.
The American Society of Transplant Surgeons supports the hospital’s vaccine policy for transplant candidates. They emphasize the necessity of routine vaccinations for organ recipients and those on waitlists due to potential exposure in hospital settings.
The Independent has reached out to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for additional details.
