Covid Vaccine Injured - the tragic side effects.
Charlet Crichton, Founder of UKCVFamily, London, England.
"Life Taken Away, Piece by Piece, Day by Day".
England.
Photos & Text by David Cross.
It’s a rainy Wednesday morning and I am about to board a train to London. My destination is a short walk from Paddington, along the leafy Westbourne Terrace to Dorland House, home to the Covid-19 Inquiry – Vaccines and Therapeutics. Module 4. May, 2024. The train is pretty much full, but on time and I am immediately reminded of the lockdown when this proximity to others was intolerable for some people and not allowed by order of the government and its advisors. It feels like a silent war has come and gone, and now, four or so years later we live in peace, which might yet prove temporary, with the fear of the aggressor no longer such a threat to us. The vaccine supposedly gave us a new victory to celebrate, and along the way a few garden parties and proof that the leadership was out of its depth, morally and intellectually. But the victory has been bittersweet for some. The Covid vaccine that brought us what Boris Johnson thought was his political salvation also brought death, serious illness, and debilitating conditions that some will endure for their foreseeable lifetimes. It also divided thought, communities and families. Upon arrival I meet the group who have invited me as supporting photojournalist, here to record the event and be introduced to the group’s members, some of whom have travelled from as far as Inverness, Scotland, to be present and witness the proceedings. The group I refer to is UKCVFamily, officially known as UK Covid Vaccine-Injured Family, and is now a registered charity. Founder and Trustee Charlet Crichton, who lives on the sunny coast of Kent, has watched the membership steadily increase to 1600 people since its creation in 2021. All have been injured by the vaccine. The group has other tentacles too and extends to several hundred who were bereaved by the vaccine. I will describe Charlet as calm, wise, warm, compassionate, and incredibly well-informed. And I add to that description that daily, Charlet’s heart rate is so erratic I wonder how she finds the courage to get out of bed. I’ve seen her charts, and the bewildering number of medicines she has in her cupboard, all prescribed by her professional health team of doctors, consultants, and specialists. She used to run a Sports Therapy clinic and was highly respected. Unfortunately, Charlet had to close her business in 2021 after her health deteriorated following vaccination and she hasn’t been able to work since, apart from the volunteer work she does for the charity. Charlet was injured by the vaccine, and she isn’t alone. She has lost her business, her health and to a large extent her freedom.
Her partner Ian has had to take up the shortfall of chores and work, his personal life also curbed somewhat. Ian is a decent man and stands by Charlet and her cause with unswerving commitment. As do many others. Charlet is a port in a storm for those who find themselves vaccine injured, feeling alone, often a little lost and angry.
Before I continue it should be noted that several people in the group that I spoke to had no issues with taking the vaccine, this isn’t a question I asked to be honest, and equally it should be noted that some have changed their opinions since. Not once did I hear anyone suggest that the concept of the vaccine was essentially wrong. However, personal opinion on vaccines and or uptake isn’t the concern of this article, neither should those personal opinions have any bearing on the current situation, concerning the injured. Also, if you are thinking, conspiracy theory, you are very wrong. The health conditions suffered by the individuals, several I have met in person, are real and acute. Many but not all have notes from doctors and consultants indicating the cause, some have found themselves in a situation where their own doctors simply refuse to put their name and signature on a piece of paper and yet, verbally concede that they are vaccine injured. One gentleman, dreadfully ill, was told by the consultant treating him at the time, that his condition was nothing do to with the vaccine, later that day, his personal doctor told him otherwise. He has never laid eyes on that doctor since. His current condition three years on is, to be fair, dreadful.
Photo above: Just a few of the now, 1600 plus Members of UKCVFamily, Dorland House, London.
It proved impossible for me to assess how many vaccine shots were rolled out to the populace, but it is in the millions, and for some the number of 1600 members in a group indicates a small percentage of problems. But that’s not the point, as it should be noted that there are some 400,000 + people with Yellow Cards - a system used to identify vaccine side effects - many of them not in a “group” and the general feeling is that there are probably another 600,000 not registered on the yellow card database. There are sadly many who have died due to the negative side effects and their precise number is unknown to the public. Validation of the effect and cause is one of the principal issues at play. For many of the various groups that are campaigning, recognition is paramount. There are those who cynically surmise that the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is the goal, but again, this is wrong. Of course, for those thousands of people who have suffered, the money would pay bills and save houses from repossession perhaps, but that isn’t it, for it has become a battle of principles versus fudging and maneuvering. The vaccine injured deserve justice just as much as anyone hurt by medical negligence. Covid–19 was possibly the biggest cultural and societal event in modern history and to leave those damaged by the vaccine by the wayside, is unthinkable in any part of the world. It isn’t too farfetched to say that it is dehumanising.
Photo left: Alexandra Kelly is an Admin and member of UKCVFamily Bereaved. Her mum Anthea, died from vaccine induced pneumonitis. (Anthea was a nurse all her life, and worked at St. George’s Hospital, London). A year after her mum died, her brother James was also lost, due to complications following a Covid infection.
The aim of UKCV Family which extends to an admin team, top barristers, and a leading psychologist, is for better support medically, emotionally and lastly financially, through the VDPS for the injured and bereaved. Below is the mission statement, taken from their website:
UKCVFamily proposes that there be a more comprehensive adverse reaction protocol in place for supporting the medical, financial, and emotional needs of the vaccine-injured in a more timely manner, as follows:
Medical • establishment of NICE guidelines for adverse reactions to vaccines, • training within the healthcare system for those who come into contact with potential patients with adverse reactions, • a dedicated research team to discover the nature of adverse reactions, • a national awareness campaign highlighting possible symptoms of adverse reactions to vaccines and encouraging those suffering to seek help, • vaccine manufacturers to take responsibility for investigating adverse reactions to their products. Financial • a reduction in the eligibility criteria for the Vaccine Damage Payment, • the removal of limited eligibility criteria if there is a clear medical diagnosis or bereavement caused by vaccination, • in cases where there is a medical diagnosis or bereavement clearly determined as caused by vaccination (such as a coroner’s report), payment of damages to be issued within 28 days of the diagnosis or report, • a financial contribution made toward any healthcare expenses incurred as a result of the NHS not being able to meet the medical needs of the vaccine-injured, • in cases where vaccination was a condition of employment, and the employee suffered an adverse reaction, the employer recognises the adverse reaction as a workplace injury. Emotional • funding for a helpline dedicated to the emotional support of the vaccine-injured, • mental health organisations (such as the BACP) to be encouraged to include support for the vaccine-injured as part of its areas of expertise, • institutions providing courses for mental health practitioners to be encouraged to feature medical trauma — including vaccine injury — as part of its syllabus, and • a national campaign aimed at raising awareness of and removing the stigma toward adverse reactions to vaccination.
The treatment of the vaccine injured has historically been a source of shame. It is time for change.
The VDPS was created in 1979 and is intended to provide financial support to those who are injured as a result of vaccination, including Covid-19 vaccination. Covid vaccines were added to the list in 2021, and to date very few people have received a payment, possibly 100. Although in all cases the side effect has resulted in a lower quality of life, (to put it mildly), very few fit the tight minimum criteria of being 60% disabled as a result of the vaccine.
Claims are assessed and paid where successful by the Department for Work and Pensions. “Currently, in order to qualify for the payment, it must be accepted, on the balance of probability, that there is a causal link between the vaccine and the claimed disability, and that the resulting disability amounts to severe (i.e. at least 60%) disablement”. – Gov.com
Spinal Strokes, heart problems such as myocarditis or pericarditis and severe depression do not qualify. Neither do any types of pneumonia, vascular problems or Guillain-Barre Syndrome, though at this point, the Green Book, upon which successful VDPS claims are based, is open to updates. The emotional strain is hard for most people looking in to comprehend, and these stresses and strains can lead to PTSD, insomnia, chronic fatigue and deep depression. For many, a strong sense of loss for who they once were, before the vaccine, is also extremely difficult to come to terms with. This extends to the partners and families, the knock on effect, or transference is hugely impactful. Imagine sitting at home, your life as you once knew it shredded, while you watch your loved one deteriorate before your eyes. It proved impossible not to be affected by the stories I was told, and it was clear that everyone I spoke with was in a deep state of shock. Many have been dealing with this for three years at least. There is a powerful trauma attached to this, and the people affected are being forgotten.
Medically things aren’t a lot better, misdiagnoses, disbelief and a merry go round of tests and sometimes new trials are the norm. There appears to be no obvious or managed approach to those presenting with symptoms that fit the profile of Covid-vaccine injured.
At Dorland House, Baroness Hallett, Chair of the proceedings, said her opening piece, and it was now down to the most eloquent Mr. Kieth. KC to start us off, and he adduced much about what was and more pertinently wasn’t in the public interests. At this point I assumed events would come to a halt as “someone” would surely have to decide if these statements were true, but it soon became apparent that this wasn’t about to happen. Soon afterwards it was quite obvious that the Covid vaccine injured, or any other vaccine injured, would be essentially glossed over. Of course, the Baroness may decide in her final reasoning and conclusions/recommendations etc., that this shouldn’t be so. But no one I spoke to is expecting that outcome. The government decided previously that an independent inquiry for the C-19 Vaccine Injured wasn’t required as they would be covered and given their day, under the 4th Module - and Anna Morris KC did a fine job in highlighting the importance of consideration on behalf of UKCVFamily and other similar groups, at Dorland House. Everything moved along quite briskly, mostly at the behest of the Chair, and the event was ultimately concluded one and a half hours early - I got the impression there were more pressing engagements planned for the late afternoon.
It didn’t require expert training to sense the unease and disappointment in members of the UKCVFamily.
I personally felt a pang of pain and to be honest, disillusion in our system, but that isn’t unusual. However, for the vaccine injured of today and tomorrow, this could prove disastrous. As an outsider looking in it struck me that this module was mostly concerned with ensuring more people would have access to any vaccine, or vaccines that will come along in the future. Warnings on the packets, and deferment of responsibility will make legal claims all but impossible, and it should be remembered, that the VDPS is a one off payment, and not a compensation. The latter conjures up fanciful notions of court battles and recognised legal outcomes that result in a compensation payout. The actual reality is a very long way off of that. None of this however has deterred the UKCV Family, as they continue to push on and seek access to the VDPS and their other important objectives. I was lucky to meet many members of the group, and heard first hand their experiences and I had a glimpse of the futures that await them. Each deserves genuine recognition of their personal journeys and poor health as a result of the Covid-19 vaccination program.
We are in great debt to all members of the group who gave open access to their stories, several are published here. It is hoped that through publishing we can help Charlet and her extended family gain recognition of this issue and let others who may be suffering in silence know that they are not alone. Standing forward and saying, “Yes, I was injured by the vaccine” is a brave move. Many have been scorned and shunned, some feel that the public generally pass them off as hypochondriacs - it’s easy for the vaccine injured to feel remote and on their own. UKCVFamily and similar groups have proved to be important points on a map of confusion and pain. A place where the injured can cast anchor, seek help, advice, and support through the myriad of emotions and stresses that can arise, seemingly randomly from the simple act of playing ones part in the immunisation of the country.
“Monday the 3rd of May was just a normal day, or so I thought. I was on my way to work when I started feeling pain at the top of my back, the top of my chest and tingling down my arms with pins and needles in my fingers….
Me being me, I sparked up a fag opened a can of energy drink and drove to the hospital sharpish. I walked into A&E, gave the receptionist my details and sat in the waiting area. "Mr. Bowie, you can go down to the ward now", and so I try to stand up, but nothing would move, "I'm sorry but I canna stand up, I think I need help ". Next thing I know, I’m in a wheelchair heading into A&E, lifted onto a bed and not being able to move, I was paralysed from the neck down.
I think I was like this for 2 weeks, spells in ward 204, ICU for a couple of days, back to 204, then 205 until I was ready to be moved to the neurology rehabilitation unit in Woodend. I spent almost 3 months in hospital, I had to learn to walk/feed myself/pick things up, basically learn to do everything again.
6 months on and I'm still learning how to do things, unfortunately my spinal stroke is not the only thing I'm fighting at the moment, depression and anxiety have appeared to add to my problems.
Thankfully I have an angel that is trying her best to help me through this, Julie Taylor, I wouldn't be here without you and I love you so much. A big thank you to my friends, family and all the staff at Woodend/Forrester Hill for supporting me through this nightmare.
There's a long way to go yet, I just hope I have the strength to keep fighting”.
- Stephen Bowie. In his own words.
Photo above: Christopher, during our meeting. He tried very hard to put a brave face on for me initially, but it soon became apparent that like many, he feels reduced and still a little bewildered by his condition and the response from the system.
Christopher Williams.
Christopher was once an active man who operated his own construction company and enjoyed weight training and running. Everything changed for him three weeks after his Covid vaccine jab, a pain in his leg gave him concern enough to see his GP. This was followed by a trip to hospital where it became apparent, he had a blood clot. He was given blood thinning medicine and sent home. This was the start of his health demise. He endured tremors and headaches for the next eight months. Various visits to the doctors, consultants and hospital, and their attempts at treatment, all failed to alleviate his problems. At every step he asked if the vaccine might be the cause, by now being aware of the known side effects that were being reported, but his questions were always met with a wall of convoluted excuses. This did nothing to lower his fear or anxieties. Eventually Christopher experienced heart failure. Today, Christopher is a shadow of his former self, even walks with his girlfriend are a major effort. His health declines, cognitive impairment and powerful headaches have left him with little sense of purpose. He is almost housebound and thus has become disillusioned. Uncertainty gnaws away at him daily and when I ask about the next five years, he suggested that death might be the answer as he struggles to remain positive. He described his situation this way, …”life taken away, piece by piece, day by day".
Paul Grey.
As we sit in his kitchen with tea and sandwiches made by his lovely wife Claire, it’s easy to imagine the proud and once hardworking man. Paul was of the old school, up to his armpits in grease twelve hours a day fixing industrial machinery. But eight days after his covid jab he lost all power down his left side and went to the hospital. Soon he was experiencing a near paralysing effect, chronic brain fog, and told he had had a stroke. During these crucial hours and days, he was separated from his wife and found himself on a C-19 Ward. Here he experienced people dying in the beds next to him, and so was exposed to covid. Three and half weeks later, a doctor told him that the jab was the cause, and the result is Guillain–Barré syndrome, which is a very rare nerve condition mostly affecting the legs and feet.
Years later and Paul has been reduced to moving around with some considerable effort on crutches. After countless hours on a drip, to correct his white cell count and the myriad of traumatic psychological effects, not to mention the battle for proper investigations into his condition and the hunt for his medical records, it’s no wonder his wife describes him as a “changed man”. Paul waits for his health to worsen and for him the VDPS is important, he has been robbed of the last fifteen years of work and gets by now with Personal Independence Payments.
He feels that his future has prematurely narrowed and has suicidal thoughts, this of course puts extra pressure on his wife, but they are both strong and loving characters, and Paul isn’t about to give up.
Photo above: Paul and his caring wife and soul mate Claire. Paul continues to battle on and refuses to stop searching for all of his medical records.
Photo above: The 2024 Paris Olympics have just come and gone, and given her talent and form, Chloe might have been competing. Her dreams were dashed, her life put on hold after her vaccine jab. Above, Chloe at home, the medals are from her previous life.
28-year-old Chloe Price was once just a handful of Kg’s away from smashing a British female weightlifting record, but an injury, followed by her Covid vaccination soon put an end to this achievement and also put her life on hold for what looks like the foreseeable future. Her story is one of tragedy and involves giving the coast guard the slip, so that she could contemplate ending her life. In a curious spin off, strong winds damaged her car, tearing the door from her grip and bending the metal backwards, and that was the jolt she needed to turn things around, and to seek the help of her family. She has endured brain surgery, bronchial spasms, issues with pain, motor skills and tremors. Along with twenty-one cranial injections of Botox, several attempts at reprogramming her brain implant and a whirlwind of tests and experiments. Although Chloe suffers from debilitating headaches and fatigue, at one point sleeping way six months of her life, she has found strength in blogging. This is mainly about mental health issues, as she found that talking about vaccine injuries failed to find an audience, or support, a common theme amongst the vaccine injured sadly. In short and in spite of being told that her jab seriously exacerbated a previous condition, she has been left to muddle through and survive, aware that her life is passing by. Chloe has suffered a loss of identity and is scared that this is now her lot in life, mostly confined by four walls. For her lockdown sort of continues. Chloe is a kind and caring person who uses her experience to help others, she feels that her injury has had a positive effect, further down the chain. She spends her days at home and taking five-minute walks with her dog, Bella. She expects little change and fights everyday to remain positive.
Eliza - Told that she needed a Covid vaccine jab before her well overdue hysterectomy could be arranged, 30-year-old Eliza promptly did as was asked. Four hours after her jab, her core temperature rose dangerously and this was followed by three days in bed, immobilised. As a business owner, award winning entrepreneur, life coach and proud mum of three, Eliza wasn’t used to taking it easy, and so she soon returned to work for an important community event. Still feeling unwell, dropping things through a gradual loss of senses, eventually losing all feeling in her legs, she contacted her G.P who told her to, “go for a walk, have a hot bath and relax, as this will lower your anxiety” (!) Within weeks Eliza was in hospital, diagnosed with a blood clot on her lung. She was put on blood thinners and soon sent home, incoherent and promptly had the first of thousands of seizures. In her own words, “I was attached to a syringe drive and left to die”. She obviously didn’t and was later discharged. It was around three weeks after the blood clot diagnoses, and in a delirious state that Eliza first made the connection between her ill health and the vaccine jab. A few people had mentioned that there were signs of a serious problem. Officially she was never told either way, she was left uncertain of the cause and the seriousness of her condition. Eliza was attended by more than fifteen consultants, and at one point a new face appeared and wheeled her to a room. The door was locked behind her and she was told that there was a serious case of malpractice. The door was unlocked, the person walked out and was never seen again. Unfortunately, for a myriad of reasons, mostly technical, Eliza has been unable to find any legal representation. Eliza has through this, at least during the few hours that we met, kept hold of a wicked sense of humour.
When I first met Eliza, my heart literally sank in my chest. Here was a vibrant young woman of 33, reduced to a shaking wreck. As she told me, “I’m always blurred in the family photos now”. Her constant physical tremor and regular seizures have plagued her nonstop for three plus years. She expects little if any change, and hopes to see out ten more years, to her daughters 18th birthday. Eliza’s life has been ruined. Her relationship ended and she lost her business and sense of purpose. Now, she cannot be left alone, in fact, hasn’t been alone in three years which has led to chronic bouts of anxiety. The emotional stress leads to regular suicidal thoughts and her young daughter has separation issues. Judged too ill for home care, she had a choice, move out into a care-home, or seek assistance from family. And so, Eliza is cared for by her mum, who had to retire from her own job - and immediate family who pitch in. In spite of her condition Eliza wasn’t able to access the VDPS. She survives on P.I.P. which some will remember as sickness benefit. During our talk, Eliza made it acutely obvious that she has lost all faith and trust in the system. “Anger consumes you, there’s nowhere to go”.
Photo above: At home and never alone due to the high number of seizures that she endures, Eliza’s life has turned into a never ending struggle between self-determination and reliance on others.
Photo above: Nicky sits in his chair, his days are mostly made up of watching tv and gazing out the window. It's a very difficult situation, the pain and anger is palpable. This is a clear reminder that vaccine effects harm not just the individual, but everyone around them. It has collectively damaged society, split families and cultures, it has undermined trust in the system and the elites that run the country.
Nicky Slade - This interview took place in the presence of Nicky, his wife Dawn and son Grant. Dawn and Grant spoke on behalf of Nicky, who was so severely injured by the covid-19 vaccine, that detailed, drawn out conversation is all but impossible for him. His memory is pretty much reduced to ten minute intervals and his speech was also damaged. Nicky was a full-time carer for his wife but within two weeks of his vaccination, his life and that of his family, spiralled out of control. There is despair, confusion and anger in this household and it is far from surprising. The experience and onward journey that is their future is one of desperation. It is also so complex that any attempt certainly by me to create a written account is very difficult. A chronic headache overcame Nicky and he was bedbound. A doctor was called and days later some meds arrived in the post. Soon afterwards he collapsed and became unconscious, at home.
The family then waited two and a half hours for a paramedic to arrive, by then Nicky had vomited violently several times - the medic took him to hospital. Within hours, the hospital called to ask what vaccine he had taken, they were also told that Nicky would probably die. Nicky himself had been told this, while alone in hospital. What followed was a grand tour of hospitals, specialist wards and consultants, all trying to deal with his numerous blood clots. His legs, heart and brain were severely affected. Eventually, very ill and still close to death, Nicky was placed into a coma. During this time, in and out of comas, he had three brain surgeries.
After a shocking year in hospital which included a visit to the Covid Brain Injury Clinic, Nicky was sent home, with part of his skull inside his abdomen, standard practice, as it would be reattached later, after his fourth surgery. Arriving home he was bedbound for another year, with chronic headaches and vivid hallucinations, limited speech and as still persists, blind on the left side of both eyes. The family were then left to simply get on with it. Nicky, Dawn and Grant, have all had to accept a new reality.
Nicky still has memory loss and walks a little with the aid of crutches and someone there to take hold when his balance goes. But he is a shell of the man he once was. He sees his beloved grand-daughter, who misses the old "grandpa", but he can scarcely remember the time they spend together. Much of his life appears to be forgotten, lost to him.
Dawn is at her wits end. Her despair is evident. Grant’s life has also been curtailed, he cares for his mum and dad. Since the family received the V.D.P.S. they have been abandoned, let to their own devices, to find a way through the hell they have been dealt. Geographically cut off, they have nowhere left to go, with no light at the end of the tunnel.
Post Script: The UKCVFamily continues to push on through its legal work and fundraising. They are now a registered charity, and you can support them via their website. https://www.ukcvfamily.org
Thanks for reading.