Parents Claim JD Vance’s Distant Relative Denied Heart Transplant Due to Unvaccinated Status – One America News Network
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
11:32 AM – Wednesday, February 12, 2025
A 12-year-old girl, a distant relative of Vice President JD Vance, has been denied a place on a heart transplant list. Her parents assert that this denial is due to her not being vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu.
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As reported by The Cincinnati Enquirer, Adaline Deal was born with two uncommon heart conditions that her family was aware would eventually necessitate a transplant, according to her mother, Janeen Deal.
Janeen revealed that Adaline, related to Vance by marriage through his half-siblings, has been receiving treatment at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for close to ten years. Her family had hoped that she would eventually receive her heart transplant there.
However, her parents explained that the hospital now mandates vaccinations for COVID-19 and the flu for patients to be eligible for a transplant. They also noted that the hospital refused to make an exception, even after they expressed their discomfort regarding the vaccines due to their beliefs as non-denominational Christians.
“I thought, wow. So, it’s not about the kid. It’s not about saving her life,” Janeen Deal commented.
Janeen shared that both she and her husband decided against vaccinating Adaline for COVID-19 or the flu after feeling a strong conviction from “the Holy Spirit.”
Hospitals maintain that vaccines for preventable diseases are essential for transplant recipients, as these patients are at a heightened risk for infections.
Camille Kotton, MD, noted that Adaline, who suffers from “Ebstein’s Anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome,” faces increased mortality risks if infected with COVID-19, especially compared to other patients without her conditions.
“The first year after transplant is when they’re at highest risk for infection, but they do have a lifelong risk of severe disease and transplant patients are still dying because of COVID-19,” Kotton stated.
Nevertheless, her parents, who adopted Adaline from China when she was four, believe that their family, which includes 11 other children, would manage any potential COVID-19 issues post-transplant.
“We’ll take it as we can if it happens,” Janeen declared. “But I know I cannot put this (vaccine) in her body knowing what we know and how we feel about it.”
A representative from Cincinnati Children’s declined to confirm Adaline’s removal from the transplant list, but mentioned to The Cincinnati Enquirer that hospital clinical decisions are “guided by scientific research and best practices.”
“We tailor care plans to each patient in collaboration with their family to ensure the safest, most effective treatment,” spokesperson Bo McMillan stated.
Adaline’s family is now exploring the option of transferring her to another hospital for the transplant if necessary.
A GoFundMe campaign for her cause has already raised over $50,000 as of Wednesday morning.
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