Man Upset He Can't Bring Life-Size Cutout of Trump to Dialysis for Emotional Support

A Florida man is upset he can't bring a life-size cardboard cutout of Donald Trump into his hospital room for emotional support while he receives kidney dialysis.

Nelson Gibson – who undergoes the treatment three times a week -- told WPBR that his family is not allowed to accompany him for the three and a half hour treatments, so he started bringing in an 8" by 10" photo of the current leader of the free world to help him get through the procedure.

"It just feels like bringing something from home to make you comfortable," the 59-year said while wearing a shirt with Trump's name and a pair of custom shoes with the president's face.

The small framed picture was so successful at helping Nelson during the treatment that his son, Eric, made a miniature cardboard cutout of his father standing next to a photo of Trump.

No one complained and some people even took a picture of the photo, Nelson told the outlet.

But when he decided to crank it up a notch with a life-size cardboard cutout of the impeached politician, things quickly went sour at the Fresenius Kidney Care in Port St. Lucie last Saturday.

A social worker told him in the lobby that he had to get rid of it, Nelson explained. "This is not a Trump rally," he claims the social worker said.

His son contacted the facility officials to find out more details of why the cutout was not allowed.

"It was supposed to be an issue of safety infectious disease which made no sense," Eric told the news station.

"What I would really like to happen is for them not to infringe upon my father's freedom of expression and speech and allow him to bring in the life-size cardboard cutout that takes up less service area than a garbage can," he added.

Nelson contends that other patients bring in items for emotional support that are more disruptive.

"She brings in the bubble wrapping that you put in boxes and for three and a half hours she's pop pop pop pop, that's very nerve wreaking" he explained of another patient. "I don't do anything like that. I sit there quietly it sits near me and that's it."

Fresenius Kidney Care said there are reasonable limits to what patients can bring to the facility.

"We strongly support the ability of all our patients to express their views, including bringing personal items into our clinics that provide comfort," Robert Kossmann, chief medical officer for Fresenius Medical Care North America, said in a statement. "At the same time, we must maintain the safety and quality standards required within our clinics."

Items are allowed that "do not create safety or infection control issues, or interfere with caregivers on the treatment floor," the center's spokesman Brad Puffer said in another statement.

The facility has requested Nelson come back for his dialysis, as experts warn that even one missed treatment can bring serious health risks, according to The Washington Post.

The family said Nelson will not return unless he is guaranteed the life-size cardboard cutout of Trump can accompany him.

"He believes that God had placed Trump in his path to help him along this journey," Eric told the publication.

Concerned for Nelson's health, the family is trying to have the Fresenius Kidney Care change its policy, as they feel other dialysis centers in the area are not as good, according to the news outlet.