If your baby needed access to life-saving healthcare , would you do everything in your power to make sure they could access it?
For most of us, this question is a no-brainer. Parents are generally willing to go to whatever lengths it takes — including placing themselves in personal danger — in order to protect their kids.
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But for one couple in New Zealand, the prospect of getting life-saving surgery for their baby is a step too far — all because they believe the surgery would involve vaccinated blood.
It’s a Wild Story
A post on the r/news subreddit linked to a story from The Guardian . It concerns the fallout from a couple refusing to get life-saving heart surgery for their infant unless the procedure uses non-vaccinated blood.
The parents are proud anti-vaxxers, saying they’re “extremely concerned with the blood [the doctors] are going to use.
“We don’t want blood that is tainted by vaccination,” said the baby’s father. “That’s the end of the deal — we are fine with anything else these doctors want to do.”
Seriously?
As numerous Redditors pointed out, blood transfusions don’t really have anything to do with vaccinations. As New Zealand’s blood service, NZ Blood, has pointed out, even if blood came from a person who’d received a covid vaccine, the vaccine itself is broken down quickly after it’s injected.
In short, whether the baby receives blood from a vaccinated or non-vaccinated person, there would be no effective difference between the two types.
It’s Become a Huge Story
Because this baby could quite literally die if they don’t get heart surgery, New Zealand’s health service has been forced to take a drastic step, applying for guardianship over the baby so he can receive the surgery he so desperately needs.
“The decision to make an application to the court is always made with the best interests of the child in mind and following extensive conversations with whānau [Maori extended family],” said health director Dr. Mike Shepherd.
The Matter Is Now Before the Courts
Health officials say the surgery is several weeks overdue. The lawyer for the baby’s parents says her clients simply wanted better care than New Zealand is able to provide.
“Because they label my clients as conspiracy theorists, [their position] is that anything my clients say can be ignored,” said lawyer Sue Grey.
Hopefully the Baby Receives the Surgery They Need
The drama is still playing out in New Zealand’s court system, as a baby’s life hangs in the balance. It’ll be interesting to see how the court rules — and whether it sets a precedent for babies of anti-vax parents.
