A North Carolina man in need of a kidney transplant said he “will die free” before getting vaccinated against COVID-19, even though the vaccination is a requirement for the lifesaving procedure.
Chad Carswell told WSOC-TV his kidneys are only operating at 4% and previously had major surgeries on his heart. He is also a double amputee.
“Without (a kidney transplant) there’s no telling how much longer I’ll be here. I have to have a kidney to prolong my life,” he said.
Carswell told the outlet he had undergone multiple tests and scans at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital and even had over 100 people willing to donate a kidney to save his life.
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The only hang-up? He and the donor would have to be vaccinated which is not something Carswell is willing to do.
“I was born free. I will die free. I’m not changing my mind,” Carswell told WSOC-TV. “I’ve had conversations with my family and everybody who is close to me, and they know where I stand and there will not be a situation that occurs where I’ll change my mind on this topic.”
“Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s policy follows the current standard of care in the United States, which is to vaccinate all patients on waiting lists or being evaluated for transplant,” the hospital told USA TODAY in a statement Monday.
“The reason it is recommended is to provide protection for the patient. Transplant patients are at high risk for severe illness if they don’t have pre-existing immunity prior to being transplanted,” the statement continued. “We understand that some patients may not wish to be vaccinated. In this case, patients can opt to be evaluated at another transplant center.”
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According to WSOC-TV, when doctors and nurses brought up the topic of getting vaccinated, Carswell said there was nothing to discuss.
“It wasn’t up for debate, I wasn’t getting it. And he told me ‘You know you’ll die if you don’t get it,’ and I told him I’m willing to die.”
Carswell is looking at other hospitals beyond North Carolina to see if they will perform the surgery.
Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.