Who is DJ Ferguson? Hospital denies heart transplant for anti-vaxxer dying from Covid
DJ Ferguson, a father-of-two and an anti-vaxxer, has been taken off the donor list for a life-saving heart transplant by Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. When asked why Ferguson was removed from the donor list, the hospital explained, "All transplant recipients need to be vaccinated to create both the best chance for successful operation and also the patient's survival after transplantation."
Ferguson's wife, Heather Dawson has spoken up against the hospital for denying her husband a life-saving organ transplant because he is unvaccinated. "He is at extremely high risk of sudden death if his heart swells. We are literally in a corner right now. This is extremely time sensitive. We're being pressured to choose a shot that could kill him. This is not just a political issue. People need to have a choice," she said.
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Dawson, who is a hairstylist, explained, "After almost 50 days in the hospital with no answers, DJ was finally seen by some of the best cardiac specialists last week. After running countless tests and scans we learned that DJ is now in severe end stage heart failure, meaning that he is going to need a heart transplant to live. On top of the heart failure, his heart is extremely swollen and dilated. Which puts him at high risk of cardiac arrest. The bad news is that the transplant board will not actively list him due to his vaccination status."
Ferguson's father told CBS Boston, "My son has gone to the edge of death to stick to his guns and he's been pushed to the limit. It's kind of against his basic principles; he doesn't believe in it. It's a policy they are enforcing and so because he won't get the shot, they took him off the list of a heart transplant. It's his body. It's his choice." Ferguson is a father of two children with a third on the way. His family has thought about transferring him, but he may be "too weak to move." Ferguson's father added, "We are aggressively pursuing all options, but we are running out of time."
Amanda Brodeur, a friend of the couple, started a GoFundMe page for them that states, "I created this go fund me to help two of my best friends and their children during this very difficult time. As many of you know DJ has been in the hospital and away from his family since November 26, 2021. He has had a long journey so far. He started out in Milford hospital where his lungs were completely filled with blood and fluid, caused by a hereditary heart issue. This issue has taken a toll on his body and his heart is currently functioning at an extremely low percentage. A combination of the low heart function, and heart medication caused three blood clots that required immediate surgery at UMASS. Healing from this surgery has been pretty difficult as he suffered damage to his left leg/foot and other complications. He is currently waiting in the hospital now to be transferred to Brigham & Women’s in Boston to under go surgery for his heart. Hospitals are now starting to shut down surgeries and the waiting process may take awhile. Heather & Dj are the most amazing people I know and are the first to give a hand to anyone that needs help. Also the best parents to their two children Hunter & Kennedy. Both DJ & Heather have not been able to work since Dj has been in the hospital and while both of them are self employed - keeping up with every day bills and now medical bills rolling in, things can get tight. In the season of giving I would love to show them how great this community is and make their life a little easier. Especially because we don’t know how long this road will be and when/if Dj will be able to return to work as his job requires much physical labor. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and helping support such an amazing family."
Brigham and Women's Hospital's statement read, "Like many other transplant programs in the United States – the COVID-19 vaccine is one of several vaccines and lifestyle behaviors required for transplant candidates in the Mass General Brigham system in order to create both the best chance for a successful operation and also the patient’s survival after transplantation," as reported by The Sun.
