An Alberta woman
who was removed from a high-priority organ transplant list for not receiving a COVID-19 vaccine has passed away.
Sheila Annette Lewis was diagnosed with a terminal illness in 2018 and was told she would not survive without an organ transplant. She was placed on an organ waiting list in 2020, but despite having all her previous vaccinations, was informed in 2021 that a COVID-19 vaccine was required to receive the organ transplant.
“The Justice Centre is saddened to hear about the passing of a brave Canadian, Sheila Annette Lewis. Ms. Lewis stood up for freedom and bodily autonomy. Alberta Health Services (AHS), hospital and doctors took away her ability to live a long, free life,” Allie Spencer, senior communications specialist at the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), said in a statement to The Epoch Times.
“She will always be remembered for the courageous stance she took, not just for herself, but for all other Canadians who have been denied life-saving transplants or medical treatments because of unfair, unscientific vaccination policies.”
Arguing that the transplant policies at the Canadian hospital violated her charter rights, Ms. Lewis had previously brought her case to the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench and the Alberta Court of Appeal. But the courts ruled against her, claiming the Charter of Rights & Freedoms does not cover specific COVID-19 vaccine policies.
In an affidavit Ms. Lewis submitted to the Supreme Court of Canada, she said the decision whether or not to take the COVID-19 vaccine had been “agonizing” and had resulted in “incredible stress and sorrow.” Ms. Lewis said she felt that taking the vaccine goes against her conscience, as there is a lack of long-term safety data.
“I am shocked and appalled that my ability to get life-saving surgery depends upon me taking a new drug with Health Canada warning labels that is still in the experimental stage,” Ms. Lewis wrote.
On June 8, the JCCF announced that the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear Ms. Lewis’s case. Additionally, the court decreed that she needed to pay the costs incurred by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the transplant doctors in the two trials Ms. Lewis lost.
“She had hoped that justice would prevail in the courts for herself and other unvaccinated transplant candidates across Canada," said Allison Pejovic, legal counsel for Ms. Lewis, in a
press release. “Unfortunately, her constitutional challenge has ended today, while the unscientific COVID-19 vaccine mandate persists with no end in sight.”
Later that month, Ms. Lewis announced she had found a hospital in the United States that was willing to perform the surgery.
On the website GiveSendGo, Ms. Lewis raised over $124,000 for the procedure.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, the
JCCF said their thoughts were with Ms. Lewis’s family, as well as all other Canadians who had been denied transplants because of “unscientific” COVID-19 vaccine policies.
“We will continue her courageous fight for rights and freedoms.”
