4-Year-Old Cancer Patient Denied Wish Over COVID Jab Status
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
NEW YORK (Worthy News) – The U.S.-based Make-A-Wish Foundation has refused to grant 4-year-old cancer patient Rocco DiMaggio a wish to go to Disney World in Florida because he isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19.
His age group, including his younger 2-year-old brother, is not eligible for the coronavirus jab.
“It was a punch in the gut,” Rocco’s mother, Gabriella, told Newsmax television of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s policy that led to canceling the Disney World opportunity.
However, the foundation said its policy states that all families members for groups with wishes that involve air travel must be vaccinated, Maxnews reported from Staten Island, New York.
Even if Rocco was old enough, his mom said she is not sure she would give him the vaccine because he’s already had COVID twice and is immunocompromised. “He has so much already stuff pumped into his body…chemo, so he Indon’t we have to add anything else at the moment.”
The mother recalled someone of the foundation saying: “I would like to work with Rocco to reimagine his wish.” However, “how can you reimagine the wish of a four-year-old? He wants to go to Disney., “Gabriella DiMaggio said.
“Rocco wants to visit the Micky House.”
Make-A-Wish Foundation’s decision not to take him to the Disneyworld theme park came as a significant setback for the boy who suffered much of his stage-four cancer diagnosis.
“When I heard the words that he had cancer, I wished it was me. The first surgery was very tough. His lung collapsed. We found out that his kidney was removed. Then we find out that they had to remove more,” his mother recalled, her voice trembling.
With time precious, two organizations, Wigs & Wishes and Millenium Systems International, say they would like to make Rocco’s wish come true later this year without him needing a vaccine.
That would enable Rocco to visit Disney World just in time for his fifth birthday. His case underscored what critics view as inhumane vaccine mandates promoted by the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.
The White House says pushing for vaccinations is the best way to prevent severe cases of COVID-19 and its variants.
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