But he said he is not changing his mind, and he said he is willing to die over his beliefs.
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Right now, Chad Carswell's kidney is only operating at about 4%.
The Burke County resident said he went to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem where he had all kinds of scans done, hoping to get a transplant, only to find out he was required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the surgery.
And so do any potential donors.
The hospital said that is its policy. But Carswell said he shouldn't be forced to get a shot.
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Asked whether he might change his mind, Carswell told ABC affiliate WSOC:
"No sir ... I was born free. I will die free. I'm not changing my mind. I've had conversations with my family and everybody who is close to me and they know where I stand and there will not be a situation that occurs where I'll change my mind on this topic."
The hospital is also standing firm, saying the vaccine is all about protection -- as transplant patients are at high risk for severe illness if they don't have pre-existing immunity.
Carswell told WSOC that he is looking at other hospitals to see if they'll perform the life-saving surgery.