Unvaccinated mother of five receives double lung transplant in Montreal after contracting COVID-19
Three COVID-19 patients who were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated have received double lung transplants at a Montreal hospital after their lungs were irreversibly damaged by the disease.
One patient was a 49-year-old mother of five who spent two months intubated and in a coma at the Jewish General Hospital.
The details of the story, first reported by La Presse and confirmed to CTV News by a hospital spokesperson, prompted thorny debates among staff, with some health-care workers questioning the ethics around such a decision.
Dr. Charles Poirier, the medical director of the lung transplant program at the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (CHUM) explained that refusing someone a transplant is still considered to be quite drastic.
“The death penalty doesn’t exist in Canada. They didn’t kill anyone. They just didn’t take the vaccine. They still have access to [care],” Poirier told the French-language news outlet. Poirier was not available for an interview with CTV News on Wednesday.
The patients were eligible to get the vaccine but did not get the full complement of shots. That wasn’t because they were anti-vaccine, said Poirier.
“Yes, they should have been vaccinated. Yes, they knew, but they weren't people who were against vaccines. These are patients who said they didn't have the time: ‘I'm going to do it later, it won't happen to me…’” the doctor was quoted as saying.
But once infected, they all developed rare complications of COVID-19, in particular, a kind of pneumonia that scarred the lungs and made it almost impossible to breathe.
The need for oxygen was so great, the three would require new sets of lungs to survive.
After being thoroughly evaluated by a team of various doctors and health-care workers for their suitability for transplants, the three patients were all placed on an ‘urgent’ waiting list.
Despite doctors telling them nothing could be done, the 49-year-old woman's family persisted and eventually, a transplant was considered. A compatible donor was found quickly and the woman is now back at home recovering.
Her partner reiterated she is neither a conspiracy theorist nor anti-vaccine but just thought they were in good health, and didn’t need to get vaccinated. The couple told La Presse it wants people who remain unvaccinated not to take it lightly.
The woman’s life is now forever changed as a result – and has likely been dramatically shortened with an average life expectancy of five years post-transplant, Poirier said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.