Cincinnati (WXIX) – A mother in three states is looking for another hospital for her daughter after Cincinnati children refuse to put her on a heart transplant list due to vaccination status.
Adalin, 12, is a happy girl from Batesville, Indiana, who lives with Ebstein's abnormalities and Wolf Pulkinson White (WPW) syndrome, two heart diseases.
Jenine Diehl and her husband adopted Adalin from China as their 4-year-old, learning that one day they would need a heart transplant.
“She's my child and I want the best for her,” Jenine shared.
The deal has done much of Adalin's care through Cincinnati children, but is looking elsewhere after the hospital refuses to put her on the transplant list.
Children in Cincinnati require patients to have both the flu and Covid-19 vaccines, but the deal has not vaccinated any of the children due to non-denominationalism.
“I called the children's advocates for Cincinnati children to see if they could help us with religious exemptions or anything like that,” Jenine said. “He came back and said they wouldn't change their policy. This is what it is and we're welcoming to find another hospital if we don't like it.”
Jenine expressed her anxiety and frustration with the situation, adding that Adalin is healthy outside of her heart condition.
“That's not right, and we don't believe in doing that vaccination part,” Jenine said.
Fox19 is currently contacting Cincinnati Children's about this issue. The spokesman provided the following statement:
“At Cincinnati Children's, clinical decisions are guided by science, research and best practices. We work with families to coordinate care plans for each patient to ensure the safest and most effective treatment.”
Jenine said Pittsburgh Hospital had contacted her family and they were considering going there for Adalin.
Currently, Adalin has no deadlines or timelines for a heart transplant, so there is still time for her family to find care for her.
On February 12th, Cincinnati Children's issued a separate statement.
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