Twelve-year-old Adaline Deal, a patient of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Ohio (“CCH”), is in desperate need of a heart transplant due to congenital heart defects. Adaline and her parents hold sincere religious beliefs against vaccination. However, it seems CCH has its own religious beliefs in vaccination: CCH has made clear that it will refuse to place her on the transplant list unless she receives COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, discriminating against her and disregarding her beliefs while denying her access to critical medical care.
Supporters may be familiar with Adaline’s story as it has made national news. Given CCH’s refusal to follow its own non-discrimination policy, its statement of patient’s rights, and basic medical ethics, ICAN’s attorneys have sent a fiery letter putting CCH on notice that its vaccine policy directly violates Adaline’s inherent and Constitutional rights.
Unlike in New Hampshire, where ICAN was able to help a transplant patient just last week, Ohio does not have a law to protect patients from discrimination based on their vaccination status. In addition, many of you who are familiar with Maddie de Garay’s story will remember that CCH was a trial site for Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine. Nevertheless, ICAN will fight to ensure Adaline and her family’s religious beliefs are fully respected.
Time is of the essence. Please keep Adaline and her family in your thoughts and prayers. We will update you as soon as we have new information. If CCH does not promptly grant a religious exemption for these vaccines or change its policy, ICAN is prepared to support further legal action on Adaline’s behalf.
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