Unhappy father of two DJ Ferguson, 31, DECIDED by heart transplant hospital as dad says he’s on ‘edge of death’
An unvaccinated father has been removed from the transplant list despite being on ‘the brink of death’, according to his family.
DJ Ferguson is a 31-year-old father with a third child on the way, the family told Boston affiliate CBS WBZ.
3
3
3
DJ has an inherited heart condition that causes his lungs and heart to fill with blood and fluid, Daily mail reported.
His family said he was preparing for a heart transplant but his hospital would not consider the procedure for a patient who refused a Covid-19 vaccine.
DJ doesn’t believe in vaccines, his father David Ferguson told WBZ, adding that it “goes against his fundamentals.”
“My son went to the edge of death to stick to his gun and he was pushed to the limit,” he told the news station.
VACCINE REQUIREMENTS
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where DJ is being treated, explained in a statement that vaccines are among the requirements for transplant candidates.
“Like many other transplant programs in the United States – the COVID-19 vaccine is one of several vaccines and lifestyle behaviors needed for transplant candidates in the Mass General Brigham system to generate both the best chance for a successful surgery and also the patient’s likelihood of survival after the transplant,” the statement read.
Expert studies have shown that the risk of severe illness from Covid is reduced by 90% or more in fully vaccinated people.
Dr. Arthur Caplan, head of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, explained to CBS Boston why vaccinations are necessary before a transplant.
“Post any transplant — kidney, heart, whatever — your immune system is turned off,” says Caplan.
“Flu can kill you, cold can kill you, COVID can kill you. Organs are so scarce, we won’t be distributing them to people with a poor chance of survival when others who are vaccinated have a better chance of surviving surgery.”
DJ’s family said he was well looked after at the hospital but they disagreed with the vaccination policy.
A GoFundMe for his family said his resistance to vaccines was also linked to a fear of heart inflammation, New York Post reported.
“It’s his body. It’s his choice,” his father said.
“That’s the policy they’re enforcing and since he won’t get the shot, they’ve taken him off the heart transplant list.”
The family actively pursued other options, including removing him from the hospital, but they worried that the DJ might be too weak to move.
ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
The Daily Mail has detailed other cases in which patients were left off the transplant list because of the Covid vaccine.
Leilani Lutali and her donor were removed from the list at a University Colorado Medical hospital in October because they are not vaccinated.
The UCHealth system said at the time that its vaccine policy stemmed from studies that showed transplant recipients were more likely to die if they contracted Covid.
According to the health care system, the mortality rate among transplant patients infected with the virus is more than 20%.
UCHealth told The Post at the time.
Another situation was reported in October, when Ohio Man Mike Ganin has been denied a kidney transplant because his donor hasn’t been vaccinated against Covid.
Vaccine efficacy & Omicron
Expert studies have shown that the risk of severe illness from Covid-19 is reduced by 90% or more in fully vaccinated people.
While there have been breakthrough cases of Covid in vaccinated people, they are rare.
In the event of a breakthrough case, it is highly unlikely that the victim will be hospitalized with severe symptoms or die from the virus.
Health officials have recommended that the Omicron variant is more infectious and could lead to further breakout cases.
However, the spread could be offset by all vaccinated Americans getting a booster shot.
Current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from infection with the Omicron variant.
With other variants, like Delta, the vaccine is still effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
Studies have also shown that side effects from vaccines are extremely rare.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for the American team The Sun?
https://www.the-sun.com/news/4540574/dj-ferguson-brigham-womens-hospital-unvaccinated-transplant/ Unhappy father of two DJ Ferguson, 31, DECIDED by heart transplant hospital as dad says he’s on ‘edge of death’