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Colorado woman with stage 5 kidney failure says she will not receive Covid-19 vaccine due to religious beliefs – despite her refusal, which means she will be denied a vital kidney transplant .
Leilani Lutali, 56, and her friend and potential donor Jaimee Fougner, 45, refused to be vaccinated, citing their religious beliefs.
The University of Colorado Health Hospital informed it would be placed on a waiting list for “non-compliance by not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.”
They had 30 days to start the vaccination process or be taken off the kidney transplant list.
Christian Lutali, born again, refused to be vaccinated due to the use of stem cells in the development of certain vaccines.
“As a Christian, I cannot support anything that has to do with abortion of babies, and the sanctity of life for me is precious,” said Lutali.
Fougner, Lutali’s friend and potential donor, has also denied the vaccine on religious grounds.
Cells from elective abortions have been used to develop effective vaccines since the 1960s, including current vaccines against rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis A and shingles.
None of the COVID vaccines contain aborted fetal cells, as some social media users have wrongly claimed. But they used fetal cell lines in their development.
Fetal cell lines are derived from fetal cells collected from abortions performed in the 1980s, which were replicated for decades and are now removed thousands of times from the original fetal cells.
Pfizer and Moderna used laboratory-replicated fetal cell lines to test their vaccine. Johnson & johnson used laboratory replicated fetal cell lines to make and grow the vaccine.
Leilani Lutali, 56, who has stage 5 kidney failure has been refused a vital kidney transplant because she and her potential donor are not vaccinated due to religious beliefs
“It’s your choice on the treatment you have. In Leilani’s case, the choice was taken away from him. His life is now being held hostage because of this tenure, ”said Jaimee Fougner, 45, who met Lutali during a Bible study and decided to donate his kidney to his friend.
While many people rejecting the vaccine cited religious and Christian beliefs, the Vatican has said it is “morally acceptable” for Catholics to obtain vaccines using fetal cell testing.
Pope Francis has gone so far as to say that not getting the vaccine is “suicide”. He has been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.
But Catholic leaders in New Orleans and St. Louis have gone so far as to call Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 shot “morally compromised.” J&J pointed out that there was no fetal tissue in his vaccine.
Lutali denounced UCHealth, saying they had shifted their stance on vaccine needs in recent months.
According to UCHealth, located in Aurora, the majority of transplant recipients and living donors must now be vaccinated to avoid organ rejection.
“At the end of August, they confirmed that no COVID vaccine was needed at that time,” Lutali said. “Fast forward to September 28. That’s when I discovered it. Jamie has learned that they have this policy regarding COVID firing for both the donor and the recipient.
The University of Colorado Health Hospital at Aurora requires that all organ transplant patients be vaccinated. Medical centers in Colorado, Washington, Vermont, Massachusetts and Alabama have established the same guidelines
UCHealth Hospital denied Leilani Lutali the opportunity to get a new kidney due to her unvaccinated status. She is currently listed as inactive on the organ waiting list
Lutali and Fougner had 30 days to get vaccinated before being taken off the waiting list for the procedure which is essential to Lutali’s life as his kidney is almost completely shut down.
Lutali now turns to hospitals in other states to receive his kidney transplant
UCHealth spokesperson Dan Weaver said the hospital would not comment on a specific case, but said it was common for transplant patients to be asked to meet specific conditions before, during and. after surgery.
Weaver wrote in a statement, “For example, patients may be required to receive vaccines, including hepatitis B, MMR and others.
“Patients may also be required to avoid alcohol, quit smoking, or prove that they will be able to continue taking their anti-rejection medications long after their transplant surgery. These requirements increase the likelihood that a transplant will be successful and that the patient will avoid rejection. ‘
Weaver added that transplant patients who are not vaccinated against COVID face a 20-30% higher death rate.
“If they are infected, they are at a particularly high risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death,” Weaver said.
“A living donor can transmit COVID-19 infection to an organ recipient even if they initially test negative for the disease, thus putting the patient’s life at risk.”
The American Hospital Association, which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, healthcare systems and networks in the United States, said that while it did not have data to share on the matter, many transplant programs insist that patients be vaccinated because of their weakened immune system.
Any type of surgery can weaken the patient’s immune system, but organ transplants are especially difficult because of the drugs they must take to suppress the immune system and prevent the body from rejecting the new organ.
The transplant centers in Washington, Vermont, Massachusetts and Alabama also have policies requiring organ recipients to be vaccinated.
Lutali is now looking for another hospital, possibly in Texas or Florida, to perform the essential procedure due to his near-failure kidney.
The life expectancy of people with stage 5 kidney disease is about five to 10 years during dialysis treatment, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
It is estimated that 17 people die every day while waiting for an organ.
“It’s your choice on what treatment you have. In Leilani’s case, the choice was taken away from him. His life is now being held hostage because of this warrant, ”Fougner told CBS.
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