Ohio Veteran Denied Heart Transplant for Refusing Covid ‘Vaccine’

A 54-year-old veteran from Ohio has been denied a life-saving heart transplant operation because he refused a Covid “vaccine.”

Feb 20, 2025

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By Frank Bergman February 17, 2025

A 54-year-old veteran from Ohio has been denied a life-saving heart transplant operation because he refused a Covid “vaccine.”

Ken Long was diagnosed with congestive heart failure nearly a year ago.

He became ill during a family vacation to Texas, his wife, Christina, told Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom.

Long was eventually sent to The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati for a heart transplant.

He was set to receive “the next heart that came in so long as his body was otherwise healthy,” she said.

When the tests came back, they showed “he was in perfect health other than a very sick heart.”

However, when Long was asked to sign consent forms, hospital staff told the family he would have to get a Covid “vaccine.”

Long immediately refused to take the injection.

“When I decide something, I mean it and if it takes dying, it’s what it is,” he told WRKC.

“They don’t know enough about it and plus it’s already done a lot of damage – people have said blood clots.

“There are known cardiac issues and our personal religious rights.”

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Initially, Christina said she disagreed with her husband’s decision.

Christina told the advocacy group:

“To be told he was so sick and possibly not going to live and that they were not going to give him a transplant due to his personal choice and religious beliefs, based on a vaccine, it was just absolutely mind-blowing.

“So then you go into fight-or-flight mode,” she said.

“I mean you’re a mess, you’re turned upside down, nothing makes sense, you don’t trust anybody, you’re afraid to say what you feel or think because you’re going to be judged for it.

“You’re afraid to ask questions because you want him to receive the best care – and the scare tactics are a real thing.

“I’ve lived it for a few years, it’s a real thing.”

The worried wife explained that she just wanted “to do anything you can to save somebody’s life – and then I had to regroup myself.

“It’s his right,” she asserted.

So instead of giving him a heart transplant, doctors put Ken under emergency surgery to install a left ventricular assist device to pump blood to his heart.

However, while the device may provide long-term support, it is not a solution.

“I can hardly do anything if the power goes out,” he said.

“I have to worry about my batteries and my charger.

“You can’t get wet, so showering is an issue.”

As Ken continues to live with a failing heart, he has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, severe risk for cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, heart muscle disorder, and stage three chronic kidney disease.

“If they would have granted Ken the gift of life from someone’s family who chose to give it, he would’ve already been back to work, our lives would have resumed as normal, he would still be able to ride his Harley and have a day-to-day job,” Christina lamented.

“He would be able to provide for his family, he would be able to play with his grandkids and do things with his children – the list goes on and on.”

An online fundraiser has now been set up to help the family with medical expenses “and allow Ken and his family to focus on what truly matters – obtaining a new heart and healing.”

“Every dollar counts and together we can make a significant impact on his journey,” the fundraiser said.

It had raised $890 as of midday Monday.

Although Ken could now just seek care at a different hospital without the vaccine stipulation, he is now hopeful that Christ Hospital will reconsider its policy.

“I’m 54 years old, but there are kids out there right now that are sick, and they’re over there with beliefs of not vaccinating, and that’s why I’m doing this,” he said.

“It’s more important for these kids to have the opportunity to live.”

The Ohio House introduced a bill in 2024 that would prevent hospitals in Ohio from discriminating against patients for refusing vaccines.

Yet, while the bill made it out of committee, it was never voted on by the full House.

In the meantime, the Christ Hospital Health Network said it is its policy to not provide transplants to those who refuse to get vaccinated.

“At the Christ Hospital Health Network, the goal with any organ transplant is to focus on helping each patient have long-term success and live a long and healthy life post-surgery,” the hospital system said in a statement to WRKC.

“Our expert multidisciplinary team of physicians, psychologists, care coordinators, and social workers carefully evaluate each individual to determine their eligibility and placement on the waiting list,” it said.

“Organ donation is a gift from another patient and family, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the gift is used with the maximum chance of success once transplanted.

“Patients who receive transplants will be immunosuppressed for the rest of their lives.

“Vaccines play a vital role in mitigating a patient”s risk of life-threatening infections, especially in the first year after transplant.

“Decisions about eligibility for transplantation involve discussions between our providers, the patients, and their family and are always made in the best interest of the patient following established national guidelines for organ transplant.”

Source: slaynews.com

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