12-Year-Old Distant Relative Of J.D. Vance Denied Heart Transplant Because Of Vaccination Status, Family Says

A 12-year-old distant relative of Vice President J.D. Vance was denied a heart transplant because she’s unvaccinated against COVID-19 and flu, the girl’s family said.

The Indiana family said Cincinnati Children’s won’t put their daughter on the transplant waiting list because of her vaccination status.

“Janeen Deal, who is related by marriage to Vice President JD Vance’s half-siblings, said the hospital requires her daughter to receive COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, which Janeen and her husband are unwilling to do,” Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

JD Vance’s 12-year-old relative ‘denied a heart transplant because she’s not vaccinated against COVID and flu’ https://t.co/9Eg0TP9d8J

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) February 11, 2025

Cincinnati Enquirer reports:

The couple adopted Adaline from China when she was 4 years old. Adaline was born with two heart conditions, Janeen said, and they adopted Adaline knowing she would one day need a heart transplant. Janeen said Adaline has been receiving treatment at Cincinnati Children’s for almost 10 years, and they hoped she would receive a heart transplant there because they consider it the best hospital in the area.

But earlier this month, Adaline’s doctor said she would need to have the two vaccinations to be put on the transplant list, according to Janeen. The couple told the doctor the vaccines conflict with their religious and medical beliefs, the family is nondenominational Christian, but the hospital would not honor a religious exemption.

“I thought, wow. So, it’s not about the kid. It’s not about saving her life,” Janeen told The Enquirer.

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Vaccines are recommended for transplant recipients because those patients have a much higher risk for infections.

A Cincinnati Children’s spokesperson did not answer The Enquirer’s question about whether the hospital withheld Adaline from the transplant list.

“Adaline is a 12-years old and being denied a life-saving heart transplant at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Why? Because her parents have refused to comply with the Hospital’s mandatory COVID and flu vaccine policy because of their deeply held religious beliefs. Their request for a religious exemption has been denied!” Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom (OAMF) wrote.

“Adaline’s story is not an isolated case. Families across Ohio, including the Donaldson family in Cleveland, have faced similar vaccine status discrimination. These tragic situations highlight a critical issue: Ohio’s legislature has repeatedly failed to pass legislation to protect families like Adaline’s from being denied care based on vaccine choices,” the non-profit continued.

“It’s time for change, and we believe this time the OH legislature will listen. Adaline is the sister-in-law of Vice President JD Vance’s sister, Chelsea Deal, and her story is now at the forefront of Ohio’s medical freedom fight. With President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance leading the charge to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), now is the time for Ohio’s leaders to take action,” it added.

WATCH:

Stephanie Stock
FAMILY member of VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE DENIED HEART TRANSPLANT at CINCINNATI Children’s HOSPITAL

CALL 2 ACTION for ADALINE DEAL and Conscientious Right 2 Refuse legislation!

Adaline is a 12-years old and being denied a life-saving heart transplant at… pic.twitter.com/F4JFVFBkTb

— OAMF (@OhioAMF) February 6, 2025

Per Daily Mail:

Jeneen, who has 12 children in total including eight who are adopted, says she and her husband Brayton are now looking at taking Adaline to a different transplant center that doesn’t require vaccinations.

To date, the couple have raised more than $50,000 via Go Fund Me to pay for the necessary treatment.

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On the donation page, they write: ‘She has grown so much that now her heart can’t sustain her.

‘So, we are seeking funds for the heart transplant process.’

Adaline was born with a heart defect known as Ebstein’s anomaly, which has left her with a heart valve that doesn’t work properly.

Fewer than 50,000 people in the US have this kind of heart defect.

Adaline also has Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, which is a condition that causes the heart to beat abnormally fast for periods of time.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.