When my sister was small, she was diagnosed with a heart complaint. A huge fuss was made by my parents about how delicate she was and how she had to be protected from other children. She used to punch other kids and tell them that they weren't allowed to hit her because of her heart. She got away with it too.
This has very similar vibes. (BTW, sister turned out to have a very minor heart defect which healed as she grew and needed no surgery).