CACHE COUNTY, Utah — Intermountain Healthcare's recent decision to postpone non-emergency surgeries due to the rise in COVID-19 cases is impacting many families, including the Kelley family in Cache County.
Late last year, Paul Kelley found out his kidneys were only functioning at five percent and he would need a kidney transplant. He found a match for a potential donor late last month, but he was told he would not be eligible for surgery until the COVID numbers were down.
The Kelleys blame those who aren't vaccinated.
"To be so close and then have it put on pause for something like this is really hard to stomach. I was so, so angry," said Corinne Kelley, Paul Kelley's wife. "It's just really especially hard knowing that this surgery isn't just a surgery that can be put on hold. It's very urgent, and we don't know how much time we have, and there's really no way of knowing."
While Intermountain could not speak to this specific situation, they do say they’re considering surgeries on a case-by-case basis.