In this episode Rachael and Ange share the reality of watching life unravel after a mandated Pfizer dose injury.
Rachael and Ange were a busy, happy Kiwi couple. Outgoing and social, they loved spending time with family and grandchildren, and had full and active social lives. Rachael thrived in her frontline government role — a people person who believed deeply in the work she did helping others.
Ange says:
“She’s always fought for justice. Fought for the little guy. That’s her strength – If no one else is going to do something, you know, she’ll do it.”
Then the mandates hit.
In 2021 the New Zealand Government introduced strict “no jab, no job” mandates under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order. These applied to hundreds of thousands of workers in frontline government roles, health, education, police, Defence, corrections and other public-facing positions. Employers were required to ensure staff were fully vaccinated or face redeployment, suspension or dismissal.
The pressure was intense and unrelenting. Like so many New Zealanders, Rachael and Ange felt they had no genuine choice — comply or lose their livelihoods and home. Their employer pushed hard, leaving them backed into a corner with no other options. Their preference was to take care of their own health – Rachael hardly ever visited a doctor.
Rachael received her first two Pfizer doses in August and September 2021 with no apparent issues. The third — the booster — was the dose that changed their lives forever.
“The 3rd of March 2022 will always be, a regretful day for me. I got the booster in my right arm, in the morning, and by the evening, my symptoms had started. That was the one that’s caused all the damage.”
Within hours, symptoms began that would ravage Rachael’s body. Crushing chest pain that felt like someone was sitting on her chest. A debilitating headache for the first two years, as if her skull had been smashed. Neck pain so severe it felt like she’d been in a car accident. Full-body tremors, constant electric shocks, brain fog so thick she couldn’t recall conversations. She was bedridden for months. The symptoms were 24/7, shifting unpredictably from one part of her body to another.
Ange watched helplessly as her once-vibrant partner suffered:
“I honestly believed in those first few months that Rachael was going to pass away. That’s how serious it felt. To watch her go through so much pain. It wasn’t human. It was a horrible, horrible experience.”
Hospital visits and ambulance rides became traumatic. As soon as “vaccine injury” was mentioned, walls went up. Ambulance drivers were rude, doctors shut down conversations – she was sent them home on heavy pain relief with little investigation or support.
Rachael’s own GP was also unsupportive. The couple felt abandoned by the system that had coerced them.
Ange needed to step fully into the carer role, taking six months off work because there was no one else to help. The equal partnership they had shared — tasks, conversations about the future, doing everything together — transformed into a daily battle with anxiety, depression and exhaustion.
“It scared the hell out of me,” Ange admits. Her confidence took a hit as she questioned whether she was doing enough, asking the right questions, being strong enough for them both.
They continued to push for help.
Years later, Rachael is finally admitted to hospital for a thorough examination. She needed to “get a little bit stroppy” to force their hand to investigate after a particularly painful few months.
Several MRI’s, ECG’s and a CT scan later confirmed that Rachael had acute pericarditis, acute myocarditis and was experiencing pulmonary embolisms (multiple blood clots in the lungs), as well as fluid around the heart.
Since then, many more diseases have emerged. Rachael’s formal diagnoses now include:
- Acute Pericarditis
- Cervicalgia
- Costochondritis
- Chronic Fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Pain Syndrome
- Acute Myocarditis
- Preserved Biventricular Function
- Long Covid
- Dysautonomia
- Rare Autoimmune Liver Disease
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Coronary Arterial Spasm
- Small Vessel Syndrome
Her spike protein antibody levels remain extremely elevated at 2500 — unchanged since the day she was jabbed. The trauma she experienced at the hands of medical staff and the effects of her multiple injuries has also brought on severe PTSD.
Many of these conditions are covered by ACC as a medical treatment injury, some are still to be added to her claim. She is now on lifelong medications.
Rachael can no longer work in her much loved former role, or even manage simple computer tasks without exhaustion. No two days are the same. The woman who once fought for justice for others is now fighting every day for her own health and dignity.
Ange speaks with emotion about Rachael’s fortitude: “She puts one foot in front of the other and keeps moving forward.”
After nearly 18 years together, they continue rebuilding and choose to live life as postively as they can, side by side. Their message is clear and heartfelt to others who are injured:
It’s imperative that you find the right specialists and GP’s who are going to listen to you. So you’re not going to feel like you’ve sold your soul a thousand times over. And in the medical field, as we know, it’s extremely hard to find these people, who are going to say, “yes, I’ll help you, you’ve been injured.”
Ange has a message for other carers:
“It continues to be tough. But don’t give up. Don’t give up on the person that you’re caring for or supporting, because they need that support. And just draw off each other’s strengths.”
They feel betrayed when they were told that the Pfizer vaccine was “safe and effective,” because for Rachael, it was not safe. For her and thousands of other Kiwis and their families, their Covid-19 mandated vaccine doses have engineered a life-altering sentence.
While the work vaccination mandates were phased out throughout 2022, the impact on many working New Zealanders remains.
Rachael and Ange’s story shines a light on the often-invisible carers who carry an enormous load, and serves as a powerful reminder that behind every vaccine injury statistic are family and friends who are also broken.
Ange says:
“It’s been a heck of a journey the last 4 to 5 years, most definitely. It’s what we do for those that we love.”
At www.thetribute.nz, we platform voices like Rachael and Ange’s so they are heard. Watch Rachael and Ange’s full episode now on YouTube or Spotify
SUPPORT THIS PROJECT: https://buymeacoffee.com/THETRIBUTE
Please comment