Texas Scorecard by Sydnie Henry February 18, 2022
“Well, just so you know, there are people on the transplant committee that do not believe transplant is a patient right. And he can just be on dialysis.”Amid a national debate on the usage of the experimental coronavirus vaccines, one North Texas family is facing the results of policies that choose one-size-fits-all mandates over medical choice.
In his senior year of high school, Doss Haugen should be planning his future, applying to college, and enjoying his last year of high school to its fullest. Instead, he’s confronting the realities of a COVID world.
Cook Children’s Hospital has always been a fixture in Doss’ life. At the age of 1, his mother, Kristen, donated a kidney to her son and he underwent a kidney transplant. Now, Doss is in kidney failure once again.
Although Doss meets all of the health, social, and familial qualifications for receiving a transplant, Cook Children’s transplant committee is denying him based on his family’s refusal to risk using an experimental coronavirus vaccine on their son—whose own blood filtration system is already failing.
Doss has been in kidney failure for two years now, and his nephrologist recommended a transplant last May. In the lead-up to presenting his case to the transplant committee, Doss was subjected to a multitude of tests, including blood work, sonograms, MRIs, heart tests, and infectious disease testing.
Throughout the testing, Doss and his parents also met with the transplant coordinator. The transplant coordinator and surgeon approached Kristen and her husband, Eddie, about vaccinating Doss.
According to Kristen, they rattled off all of the general reasons for taking the coronavirus vaccines but did not mention anything about Doss’ specific case or the risks involved.
“[They] will not and do not discuss the risks involved with the vaccine. They do not even say there are risks too. They don’t tell you that side of it. They don’t tell you that it’s experimental, which, it is experimental. Because even if it’s been approved by the FDA, there’s no long-term anything. And they do not mention that there’s [a] risk of myocarditis”.”
Kristen listened to their reasoning and told them no. When they pressed, she simply told them that Doss would not be getting the coronavirus vaccination.
At this point, the transplant coordinator, who the family has known for years, responded:
“Well, just so you know, there are people on the transplant committee that do not believe transplant is a patient right. And he can just be on dialysis.”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/cook-childrens-health-care-system-denying-transplant-to-unvaxxed-child/
