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DJ Ferguson, a 31-year-old cardiac patient, was denied a heart transplant for being unvaccinated against COVID-19. His father, David, said his son was taken off the transplant list at Brigham and Women's Hospital because of his vaccination status.
David also mentioned that the mandate goes against his son’s "basic principles” as “he doesn't believe” in vaccination. However, the patient’s mother, Tracey, told ABC News that her son was not an anti-vaxxer.
Tracey said Ferguson resisted the vaccine due to concerns about its effect on his cardiac condition and the potential risk of heart inflammation:
“He’s not an anti-vaxxer. He has all of his vaccines, and he’s an informed patient who is concerned because of his current cardiac crisis.”
Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) previously cited cardiac inflammation as a possible side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine, the risk was declared to be extremely rare and temporary.
As DJ Ferguson was deemed ineligible for a heart transplant, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to support his pregnant partner and their two children while the former continues to undergo treatment for his life-threatening cardiac condition.
The fundraiser has received immense support on social media and has already garnered more than $80,000 in donations.
Brigham and Women's Hospital addresses DJ Ferguson heart transplant issue
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston recently made news after the hospital decided not to perform DJ Ferguson’s heart transplant surgery due to his unvaccinated status.
The hospital’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate is reportedly in-line with several U.S. transplant programs that require multiple immunizations to perform a transplant procedure, including a flu shot, hepatitis B vaccines, and the COVID-19 vaccine.
A spokesperson for Brigham and Women's Hospital told the BBC that the center was only following its policy. They mentioned vaccination was important for transplant patients as it gave them a better chance of survival despite being immunocompromised due to the transplant:
“Our Mass General Brigham healthcare system requires several CDC-recommended vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, and lifestyle behaviors for transplant candidates to create both the best chance for a successful operation and to optimize the patient’s survival after transplantation, given that their immune system is drastically suppressed.”
The hospital also shared that there are nearly 100,000 people on the waitlist for transplants who will not undergo surgery in at least the next five years due to a shortage of organs. Therefore, the hospital is likely to provide the chance to a candidate who has a higher chance of survival.
Brigham even stated that its own research has proven that transplant recipients are at a higher risk of facing near-fatal effects of COVID-19 as compared to non-transplant patients.
The healthcare facility even acknowledged David Ferguson’s claim about the hospital removing his son despite being the “first” candidate on the transplant list.
However, the hospital denied having any first position allotted to patients as candidates are selected considering varying levels of health condition.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also encouraged transplant patients and their close ones to get fully vaccinated for an added immunity to fight against the COVID-19 virus post-surgery.
A look into DJ Ferguson’s health condition
DJ Ferguson has been admitted to the hospital since November 26, 2021, as per his GoFundMe page. He was initially taken to Milford hospital due to a hereditary cardiac issue that filled his lungs with blood and fluid.
His heart reportedly started functioning at a “low percentage” due to the condition, and Ferguson suffered from three blood clots for which he had to undergo immediate surgery at UMASS. Following the surgery, he suffered other complications, including damage to his left leg.
Ferguson was then transported to Brigham and Women's Hospital for advanced treatment. After spending nearly 50 days at the hospital, doctors revealed that the patient was in “severe end stage heart failure” and required a transplant.
His heart was “swollen and dilated” putting him at higher risk of cardiac arrest. Although Ferguson passed the requirement for a transplant, his name was taken off the list due to his COVID-19 unvaccinated status.
Meanwhile, the patient’s vitals started to crash and he had to be supported with an emergency heart pump. Earlier this week, DJ Ferguson underwent emergency open-heart surgery to receive a mechanical heart pump or left ventricular assist device (LVAD).
Due to the device, Ferguson will not be able to shower, swim or live a normal life for the "foreseeable future." Although the heart pump is likely to keep him alive for the next five years, the patient still requires a heart transplant due to his high-risk health condition.
DJ Ferguson’s family plans to shift him to a new hospital to reapply for a transplant, but the patient is not fit enough for an immediate transfer.
