\n<\/p>\n

Yulia Hicks<\/span><\/a>, a child who was reportedly denied a kidney transplant by <\/span>Duke Children\u2019s Hospital<\/span><\/a> last year, underwent a successful, life-saving kidney transplant at ECUHealth Medical Center on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n

The North Carolina-based hospital stepped up to help Yulia, who has a genetic kidney disorder that requires a transplant, after her family said last year that Duke was refusing to put the teen on its kidney wait-list because she is unvaccinated against COVID. Notably, the family says Yulia had <\/span>already recovered from the virus<\/span><\/a>, but such information was unimportant to Duke Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yulia was sent back for surgery at 7 p.m. on Thursday evening, and is currently recovering in the pediatric ICU, Yulia\u2019s mother Chrissy Hicks told The Daily Wire in a phone interview on Friday. The teen\u2019s surgery went extremely well and relatively quickly. Yulia is expected to leave the hospital on Monday or Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe found out Friday that we were gonna have surgery this week, and that was just, like, overwhelming because the blessings are just \u2014 it\u2019s so overwhelming that everything worked out,\u201d Chrissy told The Daily Wire. \u201cYou know, we had hoped that this would all happen, but then for it to actually happen \u2014 you\u2019re like, oh my gosh, it really worked, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Chrissy Hicks<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Yulia\u2019s donor is a man from Kentucky, who has decided to remain anonymous. The family was told his initials are J.J.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for the media giving us attention, we would\u2019ve\u00a0never found her donor, because he came forward because he saw it in [online],\u201d Chrissy said. \u201cH<\/span>e wanted to just test and see if he was a match. We still don\u2019t know his name, we just know he is from Kentucky and we know his initials are J.J., s<\/span>o he\u2019s\u00a0gonna forever be J.J. to us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chrissy said around 40 people came forward looking to test if they were a match in the wake of conservative media bringing attention to Yulia\u2019s case.<\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

The Hicks family asked for prayers for J.J. in an update posted to a GiveSendGo<\/a> account for the family. \u201cPlease pray for his recovery. He is a hero,\u201d it reads.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chrissy told The Daily Wire that her family is working to get Yulia\u2019s Law passed in North Carolina. The law would bar hospitals from denying people transplants based on their COVID vaccination status. Chrissy would like to see the law go national.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just about medical freedom is what it really comes down to,\u201d she said. <\/span>\u201cAnd i<\/span>t\u2019s not just about Yulia. Through this whole thing, we\u2019ve had about 10 or 15 people <\/span>contact us privately and we\u2019ve been able to send them to hospitals that we know will\u00a0<\/span>take them without the vaccine. So it is not just about Yulia; it\u2019s helping other people already and we\u2019re hoping we can expand that even more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The family is also pursuing a lawsuit against Duke over the hospital allegedly denying Yulia a place on the transplant list over her COVID vaccination status.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are also still raising money for legal fees for our lawsuit against Duke,\u201d the GiveSendGo account says. \u201cWhat they did to our daughter was unconscionable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chrissy praised the team at ECUHealth for their care and professionalism.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to thank the entire team at ECUHealth for everything, especially Dr. Leeser, Dr. Romine, Cynthia Stone, and Allyson Ayers.\u201d the crowdfunding page reads. \u201cThey are the most caring and professional team that we have encountered on this journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Daily Wire<\/span><\/a> reported last year that a phone call, the recording of which was <\/span>obtained<\/span><\/a> by journalist Alex Berenson, reportedly revealed a Duke health official telling the Hicks family that Yulia must get vaccinated against COVID before she could become a candidate for the kidney transplant.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t require you to do anything. I can recommend these things, but if you don\u2019t follow our recommendations, then Yulia can\u2019t be a transplant candidate here,\u201d the Duke Health kidney specialist reportedly said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout her interview with The Daily Wire, Chrissy repeatedly gushed over everyone who\u2019s supported and prayed for Yulia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Chrissy said. \u201cJust, thank you. We can never \u2014 \u2018thank you\u2019 will never be enough.\u00a0<\/span>Please keep praying for Yulia\u2019s recovery and for this angel who saved her, J.J.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chrissy extended an invitation for J.J. to reach out to the family if he ever wanted.<\/span><\/p>\n

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