Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital is at the center of a heart-wrenching controversy, as the family of 16-year-old Dazelle Peters revealed she is being denied a vital double lung transplant because she has not received four Covid vaccines. Dazelle’s parents are devastated and allege that the hospital is using her unvaccinated status as a reason to withhold the life-saving procedure.
Dazelle’s father, Josh Peters, who himself has not received the Covid shot, reveals a disturbing conversation with a surgeon who warned Dazelle that if she contracted the virus, she would be a “major threat” to others in the hospital who had been vaccinated. The emotional impact of this statement left the family feeling that the hospital did not want to grant her a lung transplant.
‘The way he made us feel was that they didn’t want to give her the lung transplant,’ Mr. Peters, 45, shared with Daily Mail Australia.
During a May 9 consultation at St Vincent’s Hospital, the surgeon reportedly informed the family that the lungs would be given to a better-suited candidate, labeling Dazelle as a ‘complex case.’ According to the hospital, Dazelle’s lack of Covid vaccination is one of the reasons she has not been placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant.
Dazelle has been bravely battling Graft-versus-host disease since a bone marrow transplant, where her immune system is attacking the donor’s blood cells, complicating her situation further with a rare type of pneumonia.
St Vincent’s Hospital claims that Dazelle’s immunocompromised state could pose additional risks during a transplant procedure. A hospital spokesperson emphasized that vaccination status is a critical part of the assessment process to ensure the best chances of survival post-transplant.
‘Vaccination status against various infections is a critical part of this assessment in order to ensure optimal prospects of survival post-transplant,’ the spokesperson explained.
However, the hospital clarified that each case is evaluated individually, and other complexities need to be thoroughly assessed before making an informed decision regarding Dazelle’s transplant.
Mr Peters contends that his family has done everything possible to make Dazelle a suitable transplant candidate, with the exception of administering the four Covid shots, which would take nine months.
‘Vaccines are only a small part of the process to get a lung transplant,’ Mr Peters asserts.
The emotional turmoil surrounding Dazelle’s situation is palpable, with her father expressing frustration at the hospital’s decision. He questions the fairness of denying her a chance at life and pleads, ‘Who deems that she doesn’t deserve a chance over anybody else?’
Mr Peters emphasizes that this is no mere game, stating, ‘This child is f**ing sick, man.’ He describes the heart-wrenching scene of finding Dazelle collapsed in her bedroom over the weekend, resulting in multiple visits to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital.*
Dazelle’s lungs are severely scarred and functioning at only 20 percent, while her kidney, liver, and heart are also impaired, and she has shrunk to a mere 40kg.
Although the entire family remains unvaccinated against Covid, Mr. Peters asserts that the decision not to get vaccinated is Dazelle’s choice entirely.
‘Dazelle has been clear she doesn’t want the jabs,’ he said, dispelling the notion that they are ‘anti-vaxxers.’
Doctors have reportedly informed the family that Dazelle tends to experience the worst side effects of vaccinations, further reinforcing her decision to refrain from receiving the Covid shots.
Before her diagnosis, Dazelle was a vibrant and healthy child, actively involved in sports, loved by many, and with a network of friends.
Despite her struggles, Dazelle emerged victorious after her May 2021 bone marrow transplant, but her condition has been deteriorating lately, leaving her with a sense of limited time.
‘Dazelle has been on her deathbed and been given the gift of a second chance. She’s a special child,’ Mr Peters affectionately said.
In the midst of these developments, the reported side effects of Covid vaccines have become a point of concern. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has documented instances of myocarditis, inflammation of the heart, following Covid-19 vaccinations.
The Herald Sun also reported serious injuries among essential service workers who were required to take Covid vaccines, raising questions about vaccine safety.
As the situation unfolds, the plea for a life-saving lung transplant continues, and the world watches with bated breath for the hospital’s final decision.
