Christian whistleblower nurse fired from Texas Children's Hospital talks spiritual war
A Christian nurse who claims she was recently terminated from her job at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) in Houston for exposing alleged Medicaid fraud related to transgender procedures for minors says she sees her situation as part of a spiritual conflict.
"I am a Christian, and my faith is the foundation of everything," Vanessa Sivadge told The Christian Post. "That's the reason why I've spoken out as I have."
Sivadge claimed TCH fired her on Aug. 16 for exposing alleged Medicaid fraud at the country's largest children's hospital, which she said was using federal funds to cover cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for minors in violation of Texas law, according to an exclusive statement provided to journalist Christopher Rufo.
EXCLUSIVE: Texas Children's Hospital has fired Vanessa Sivadge, the nurse who exposed alleged Medicaid fraud at the hospital's child sex-change program. TCH denied Sivadge's request to transfer, then terminated her employment after she blew the whistle. pic.twitter.com/j6yxBA7B9s
— Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) August 19, 2024
Sivadge came forward to Rufo last year to claim TCH was pushing "gender-affirming care" on young patients while ignoring their underlying psychological problems.
Sivadge approached Rufo following his May 2023 story about Dr. Eithan Haim, who leaked medical records suggesting that TCH continued to prescribe puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria despite claiming otherwise.
The U.S. Department of Justice slapped Haim with four felony counts in June for obtaining "personal information including patient names, treatment codes and the attending physician from Texas Children's Hospital's (TCH) electronic system without authorization," according to a DOJ press release.
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Haim and Rufo claim the patient names were redacted from the documents he leaked.
In her most recent statement, Sivadge told Rufo that she requested a religious accommodation at the hospital on May 31 that would have transferred her out of the endocrinology clinic, where she alleges she was forced into "indirect participation in the care of children on cross-sex hormones."
She asked to be transferred back to her core competency at the cardiology unit, where such ideology was not prevalent.
"This past Friday on August 16, TCH fired me effective immediately," Sivadge wrote. "This is unlawful for two reasons: it is retaliation for my coming forward with information on TCH’s egregious pattern of deception and Medicaid fraud, and this action also illegally disregarded my request to transfer due to my belief that these procedures bring irreversible harm and lifelong regret to children confused about their sex."
Sivadge said she doesn't know Haim and that her situation differs from his because she hasn't yet faced federal charges, though she noted that federal law enforcement have shown up at her home.
Two weeks after Rufo published Sivadge's anonymous whistleblowing last year, two FBI agents appeared at her door, according to footage Rufo posted to X in June.
The video shows special agents Paul Nixon and David McBride showing up at Sivadge's home while sporting blue jeans and telling her they wanted to speak about "some of the things that have been going on at [her] work lately." They quipped they hoped they were not "interrupting dinner."
This is where we are now: The Biden Administration sent two FBI agents to intimidate a nurse who told the truth about the child sex-change program at Texas Children's Hospital. The regime is mobilizing to threaten and imprison anyone who opposes "transgender medicine." pic.twitter.com/XbtZVnp5Kw
— Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) June 18, 2024
Sivadge told CP she never could have imagined that the federal government would ever go after her, and she believes federal law enforcement has been politically weaponized.
"I never thought that [my identity] would come to light, and that I would be ultimately visited by the federal government, wanting to intimidate me into silence," she said.
"And so I think that instead of investigating medical institutions and organizations — in my case, a hospital — for wrongdoing and for illegal activity, the federal government was weaponized to come after people exposing crime and whistleblowers like me," she said.
"And so that's egregious. It's something I never imagined in a million years would happen to me," she added.
Sivadge said she also fears that the political weaponization of federal agencies against people of faith will continue under a potential Kamala Harris administration.
"I believe that the Department of Justice has been weaponized against people of faith and people who expose wrongdoing and illegal activity — not just in my case, but in many others," she said. "And so I am deeply concerned that if she gets elected, nothing will change in that regard."
Sivadge presented her case to CP in the context of spiritual warfare, and she suggested she fulfilled her duty as a Christian by exposing wrongdoing.
"Ephesians 5 says to have nothing to do with the worthless deeds of evil and darkness but instead expose them, and that everything exposed by the light becomes visible," Sivadge told CP.
"So that was really the foundation and the motivation for me to do what I've done, to speak out like I have."
"Because we have, I believe, a responsibility as Christians to bring to light what's been done in the darkness," she added.
Even so, Sivadge said that she has "absolutely" sensed God's presence in her situation.
"Not just that, but I've felt tremendous support from the people of God," she said, adding that "people in the community who have reached out, have sent so many messages, have donated to my GiveSendGo, have ultimately made me feel like I'm doing the right thing, no matter what comes down the pike."
"And that's ultimately the greatest encouragement that I receive, is from people who have donated and who have prayed for me," she added.
Sivadge's GiveSendGo has raised nearly $50,000 of its $500,000 goal as of early Monday morning.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to [email protected]
