Category: Covid-19 Vaccine Injured New Zealanders

ANZAC Eve Special: Featuring Staff Sergeant Patrick McCarthy (Ret’d), former Drum Major of the New Zealand Army Band and a third-generation soldier, who shares the life-altering consequences following the NZDF mandated vaccine shot.

I guess the reason why I joined the military was my father, who was in the artillery for 20 odd years. The first time I ever saw a brass band I was about three years old, we went to a Christmas parade and I could hear the noise coming up the road, and my mother bent down and pointed at my father. I just ran out there onto the street, grabbed the side of his pants. He just picked me up, had me on his shoulder, and carried on playing. And I was like, yeah, that’s what I want to do.

That early memory never left him. In 1989, Patrick joined the New Zealand Army Band. What followed were, in his words, “the most incredible years that I’ve had the honour to live.” As Drum Major, he became the public face of the Army — leading marches, performing at major events, and upholding the reputation of what he describes as the best military marching band in the world.

In the Covid years of 2020–2021, Patrick served as Security Liaison Officer at the government’s MIQ hotels during New Zealand’s managed isolation period. There, he reviewed records of hundreds of positive COVID cases.

I got curious, why has not one of those people died? I think seven might have been transported to hospital, but I don’t think any one of them actually stayed there. I was like – wow, what’s the big deal?

When the vaccines were offered within the NZDF, Patrick initially held off. He recalled the Chief of Army’s early stance against coercion.

The Chief of Army said to us that we are not to coerce, force, threaten or bully anybody into the vaccine. But, two months after that, the Chief of the Defence Force turned around and mandated the jab.

Pressure mounted. As Drum Major and a leader, Patrick faced emotional appeals from his commander. The band also had prestigious international invitations: the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Edinburgh Tattoo and Basel in Switzerland. These were dreams for a passionate musician and soldier.

He also had a wife with a newborn and could not afford to lose everything. So, in May 2021, he rolled up his sleeve.

That afternoon, everything just became heavy. It was like life became overcast.

Symptoms hit hard and fast. Within days, Patrick experienced crushing fatigue, electric shocks, ice-like pain in his legs, and constant discomfort.

Three weeks into it, my legs below my knees just turned to ice. I was in the fetal position just rubbing my legs. It also felt like there was an ice cube on my lung, and all of a sudden I was fatigued.”

A previously ultra-fit man who had run a half marathon every day — could no longer run. Random pains migrated around his body.

It definitely feels like there’s a battle going on inside the body.

Medical support within the Army was limited. Clinical centres were closed because of the risk of a Covid outbreak, and admin staff directed him to “go to town” and get PCR tests. It took 2 months, until July, for a proper assessment. He was diagnised with severe pneumonia.

He was not convinced by that diagnosis, and rested as much as he could, pushing through with a “positive mindset.” He also realised he would not be taking another vaccine, and initiated the long process of retiring from the NZDF. Policy dictates that personel should be healthy before they can be discharged, and so in an effort to get his fitness backup to speed, Patrick went on a training run near Burnham Camp. He collapsed.

I got three k’s into the loop and yeah, something big happened. I hit a wall and I was limping. By the time I got home, I was quite severely limping and my breathing was laboured. I thought, wow, am I having a stroke?

He went to the Army clinic again, and after being accused of being an “anti-vaxxer” he was given steroids and told to come back in three days. But by the next morning, Patrick was severely ill, and an ambulance was called.

That was one of the toughest things. My wife found out, and she showed up with our baby and for them to watch me being loaded into an ambulance and carried away… Yeah, that was tough.

At the hospital, specialists delivered a grim prognosis: he had suffered not one, but two strokes. One specialist told him he would never regain his previous fitness or breathing capacity. He would live with constant pain — yet they never wrote this prognosis down on the forms sent to ACC, denying Patrick ongoing compensation.

Patrick’s usual Army doctor later researched and acknowledged that his pattern of vaccine injury matched thousands of cases reported overseas.

He told me that he had seen four soldiers with pericarditis. And this is just in Burnham, one small camp. Well, he lost his job.

A neurologist has linked his ongoing issues to the Pfizer vaccine. Patrick also speaks of recurring dreams where he stops breathing and wakes up in “death throes”— a terrifying echo of reports of sudden death.

He is outspoken and critical of the NZDF’s response.

That story begins when three unvaccinated employees from the New Zealand Police and NZDF facing termination file an urgent judicial review in the High Court on 6 January 2022 challenging the Government’s vaccination mandate for all uniformed personnel. They were supported by affidavits from 37 other affected police and defence force workers. The hearing occurred in mid-February 2022.*

On 25 February 2022, in Yardley v Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Justice Cooke set aside the Covid-19 Vaccination Order for Police and NZDF. He concluded that the Order “does not involve a reasonable limit on the applicants’ rights that can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society and that it is unlawful.”*

‘In essence, the Order mandating vaccinations for Police and NZDF staff was imposed to ensure the continuity of the public services and to promote public confidence in those services, rather than to stop the spread of Covid-19. Indeed, health advice provided to the Government was that further mandates were not required to restrict the spread of Covid-19.’ JUDGE COOKE

But, unfortunately the Chief of Defence Force continued to fight to keep the NZDF Covid-19 vaccination Order — returning to the Supreme Court. They were successful. The NZDF personnel who had fought for years, finally admit defeat.*

The biggest thing I want to say about NZDF—they’re our health providers and they’re running for the hills. They’ve gone to the Supreme Court to protect themselves from soldiers. My grandfather fought on the Western Front, and I’m a third-generation serving soldier. If he showed the same amount of cowardice as they’re showing today, he would’ve been put in front of a firing squad. They’ve deserted their own soldiers.

Yet through it all, his faith has been strengthened.

I’ve got a four-year-old son. I’m not going to lie down and keep my mouth shut. This has made [my faith] stronger. Christ has planted the seed in every soul. The second coming isn’t just one person. It’s many people waking up the consciousness within. It’s time to wake up.

At www.thetribute.nz, we platform voices like Patrick’s so they are heard.

Watch Patrick’s full episode now on YouTube or Spotify

*Excerpts from the book Heart of the Protest

Kerry, a confident mental health advocate was left barely able to speak after her second Novavax jab. Now living with persistent heart issues and life-altering neurological symptoms, she is determined to hold authorities accountable and get the vaccine roll-out stopped.

Kerry was an active, health-conscious woman deeply engaged in her community and working in mental health. She prioritised conscious self-care and maintained excellent health through deliberate lifestyle choices. Like many New Zealanders during the COVID-19 era, she faced vaccine mandates that affected her part-time role with the DHB (District Health Board). The decision to vaccinate did not come easily. She stalled for a long time, questioning the process excessively, seeking answers from medical professionals.

There was just something in me that didn’t sit right. And so my work organized for me to sit in person with the chief vaccinator at my hospital. So I met him a couple of times, and he couldn’t get me across the line with Pfizer. I still couldn’t go there. Even though I was told that they would look after me if anything untoward happened.

When Novavax was mentioned as an alternative, she made inquiries, but timing and family needs ultimately drove her choice.

Her daughter in Australia had major surgery scheduled and needed family support, especially with a young child (just over one year old) at home. Kerry got vaccinated—two doses of Novavax, three weeks apart—to return to work and help her family.

Ironically, her daughter’s surgery was postponed due to COVID interruptions, and her daughter returned to New Zealand with her little boy and dog. By then, Kerry had already received her second dose and was suffering adverse effects.

Within 72 hours of the second dose, Kerry’s health turned upside down. Neurological issues hit hardest: severe brain fog, inability to speak properly (words wouldn’t come or only a few emerged), and intense pressure in her head, especially on the right side. She experienced visual problems, chest pain and heaviness, major hair loss (over half her hair on the right side), breathlessness, and profound fatigue.

She tried to hide her symptoms from her daughter, who was battling severe, clinically diagnosed PTSD. Kerry’s daughter only lasted five weeks in New Zealand before returning to Australia, unaware of the full extent of her mother’s decline.

She didn’t know. She just thought, you know, “What is wrong with mum?” It got so severe, this not being able to talk or think properly — actually to try and talk caused pain and pressure in my head.

Her GP at the time (who has since left the practice) described her presentation as “like a stroke victim.” The doctor referred her to general medicine, submitted a severe vaccine injury claim to ACC without Kerry even asking, and noted multiple issues including the brain injury, chest discomfort and hair loss.

While waiting for specialist care, Kerry had repeated ambulance trips and felt completely debilitated—she describes being “like a vegetable.” She could barely move from the couch to the toilet, kitchen or bed. Many nights she went to sleep unsure if she would wake up. At one point, isolated in her semi-rural home, the dysfunction became so severe that she seriously considered taking her own life. The uncertainty and dismissal amplified the trauma.

Waiting under general medicine for about four and a half months, Kerry faced four changes of doctors in what she described as a “bloody circus.” Referrals to Auckland specialists were declined.

What does it take?! You know it was obvious that I’m not okay? I got so frustrated.

Many medical professionals stonewalled her when she mentioned the vaccine timing—symptoms started immediately after the second dose — Kerry has no shadow of doubt that her symptoms are vaccine related. They repeatedly attributed everything to stress, leaving her feeling more alone and questioning her sanity.

One doctor finally said, “I believe you,” acknowledging they were seeing many “weird and wonderful things” and entering “a whole new ball game.”

Home help was organised because Kerry could do almost nothing for herself. Her pre-vaccine achievements—a public DHB publication on conscious self-care, a project she was passionate about—sat untouched in a box. Mandates had already sidelined her work; injury made it impossible to continue with her project.

Chest issues worsened which Kerry complained consistently about for over a year. Until, eventually, she suffered a major heart event and spent five days in acute coronary care. Still, some cardiologists dismissed links to the vaccine. One overrode her attempts to discuss it; another privately admitted seeing “a lot of people post-vaccine” with cardiac issues.

In a striking moment, a cardiologist admitted they were “seeing a lot of people post vaccine and Covid right now” and revealed she herself had not had a booster in over two years!! Kerry found this deeply troubling — as the hospital were still running a COVID vaccination clinic in the reception area.

It’s beyond me that these toxic, destructive vaccines continue. I just can’t even comprehend why, when there’s such extreme harm, that they are allowing it to continue? What it’s done to people’s lives?!

Kerry continues to battle heart symptoms and restricted living, and needs significant rest.

She has since gone private for care, spending thousands, including on $3,000 a pop advanced MRI’s, and is depleting her retirement savings. A brain CT scan report indicates a chronic lacunar infarction (a type of stroke). Her cardiologist links ongoing symptoms—fluid around the heart, stiffness, and pain in the left back and upper arm—to the vaccine, noting he sees “a lot of it.” She awaits full reports and a neurology referral.

She is now represented by a lawyer and has been granted legal aid, in her appeal against ACC’s denial of her claim. Early on she told ACC: “I will fight this to my last breath.” She stands by that, determined not to let them “get away with it.” She hates how injured people have been treated while still suffering.

Kerry wants an open court hearing to read a victim impact statement. She seeks full government acknowledgment; truth about what happened; and answers on why medical professionals often remained silent or dismissive despite seeing patterns of harm.

She knows she is one of thousands and believes more voices speaking out will help.

I want to know the truth about why these medical people have been so blatantly not engaging and speaking up about it. I want to know that. I’ve seen enough. It’s been a real eye opener. It’ll live with me forever.

While she has come a long way, some effects may be lifelong. She feels lucky to have survived this far but remains deeply impacted.

Kerry’s story highlights the human cost behind vaccine mandates and the challenges of seeking recognition for injuries in New Zealand’s system. ACC has received thousands of COVID vaccine-related claims, with a portion accepted, yet many face denial and lengthy battles.

Her experience echoes broader questions raised in public discourse, which failed to be addressed in the recent Royal Commission process.

At www.thetribute.nz, we platform these voices so experiences like Kerry’s are heard. If you or someone you know has been affected, sharing their stories matters—for acknowledgment, for better systems, and for truth.

Watch Kerry’s full episode now on YouTube or Spotify

In the latest episode of The Tribute, actor, writer and screenwriter Barry Duffield, known for his role as Lugo in Spartacus, shares a deeply personal account.

What began as another career highlight—landing a dream gig overseas—took a devastating turn after he was forced to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.

Barry, born in the UK, growing up in Australian, and now living in New Zealand was a dedicated six-day-a-week gym trainer. He openly describes the coercion he faced: international contracts required vaccination to travel, and his gym job mandated vaccination.

I felt absolutely coerced. Chippy (Chris Hipkins) says, “we had a choice.” We had no choice! Not eating is not a choice. Not having a roof over your head is not a choice.

He received his second shot on September 16, 2021. The next day, his life changed. The fit, active man suddenly struggled to walk.

I’m a gym bunny, I’m a six day a week trainer. And I would lunge up and down my driveway, and it’s on an intense angle. So it was a task. After the 17th of September, I couldn’t walk up that driveway. It was hard for me to get out of a chair to help carry the shopping.

Symptoms hit hard and immediate: heart palpitations, breathlessness, skin crawling, brain fog, chest inflammation that felt “like a balloon going off underneath my diaphragm” and extreme fatigue. When he finally saw his doctor and linked the timing to his vaccination event, the doctor’s response was blunt: “I’m pro-vaccine” — end of discussion.

An ECG showed thickening of the left ventricle, suggestive of cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is disease or injury to the cardiac muscle — a serious and non-reversible condition that causes shortness of breath, decreased exercise tolerance & may lead to cardiac failure, arrhythmias and death.

His doctor trivialised the life-limiting diagnosis:

The doctor said, “so that puts to rest your conspiracy theories, Barry!” And he had a bit of a chuckle about that.

Hospitalisation followed, with a full battery of heart tests confirming the diagnosis.

Yet attempts to discuss vaccine timing or earlier myocarditis were repeatedly shut down. One specialist attributed it to “your past life catching up with you.” Duffield pushed back:

So we all live a life. And my life has been a bit raucous at times. But everything I’ve done in the last 60 years has suddenly caught up with me in 12 hours after the vaccine? I mean, how do you explain that? So I got myself a new doctor.

A new doctor ordered a spike protein antibody test (costing around $120, which Duffield notes likely deters many). His levels came back at 3,102.8 per milliliter — far exceeding the 179–300 range expected from natural COVID infection. High IgG4 antibodies were also detected, potentially leaving the immune system less responsive to infections. Recurrent illnesses followed.

So your system is going, “okay, you’ve got all this antibody in there, so I don’t need to protect you from infections.” And then I got one, after the other, after the other of infections. Like I went to the gym one day and I was in convulsions in the car.

Neurological issues emerged too: tremors starting in his little finger and thumb escalated up his arm (the injection site). A neurologist thought it was Parkinson’s and prescribed Sinemet — Levodopa, most often combined with carbidopa as Sinemet, is considered an effective treatment for Parkinson’s disease movement symptoms. It works by converting to dopamine in the brain.

Barry experienced severe reactions after eight weeks on the drug: hallucinations, intense anxiety (new to him), and a suicide attempt. He woke in ICU with no memory of the act, later learning from his wife’s account of finding him barely breathing in a cold shower, where he reportedly screamed, “Just let me die.”

The mental health unit had to show up to clear me before I could leave. And the guy said, “so what were the thoughts running through your head?” I said, “I had none. I had no thoughts of suicide, but I was taking this Sinemet.” And he said, “oh, another one.” I can honestly say I’ve never had a suicidal thought prior to that.

The Sinemet label listed suicidal thoughts, anxiety, depression, and hallucinations — warnings he says were never mentioned by the neurologist – a fault Barry believes is medical malpratice.

Both the vaccine and the Sinemet tried to kill me, just in different ways: one physically, the other psychologically.

The gaslighting, he says, has been relentless — from doctors telling him he’s got “TikTok syndrome” to friends dismissing symptoms as they play “devil’s advocate”. A compassionate nurse later privately admitted, “There are hundreds that come through the doors that are exactly like you. I’m just not allowed to say anything about it.”

Despite the physical and mental toll — ongoing tremors, anxiety attacks that strike as he drifts to sleep, headaches, crawling skin, and intrusive thoughts of stepping off a bridge — Duffield credits his wife of 28 years with saving him.

If I didn’t have my wife, if I didn’t have her support and backing, I probably wouldn’t be here talking to you now.

He sets daily goals, continues writing (including the third novel in his No Man, No Women series) and has recently written a book Coming Soon: A life at 24 Frames, about his life, work and vaccine injury, available on Amazon.

He also channels his energy into advocacy. Recently speaking at the “Safe and Effective Roadshow,” organised by NZDSOS. He begins his speech with remarks that emphasise shared vulnerability:

The only difference between you sitting out there and me on this stage is luck or fate. The government loaded the gun. They put one bullet in the chamber. It’s Russian roulette that we’re all thrown into. The only difference between you and me is just that — you’re just lucky.

He wants accountability for those who drove the mandates, including figures like Dame Jacinda Ardern and Ashley Bloomfield. Duffield’s message is clear and urgent:

Don’t let them isolate you. There are lots of other people like us.

This episode of The Tribute — a series dedicated to amplifying the voices of New Zealanders who were injured by the COVID jabs and dismissed by the system — is a powerful, unflinching testimony. It highlights not just one man’s battle with injury, medical denial, and mental health crisis, but the broader human cost of policies that left many feeling they had “no choice.”

 Watch Barry’s full episode now on YouTube or Spotify

In this episode, Nicole, a devoted mum of four from Auckland, shares her heartbreaking testimony of bullying to take the Pfizer jab, and the brutal aftermath — clots, autoimmune diseases, family rifts and the irony that officials knew the dangers all along — a story of maternal courage silenced by the system.

Nicole was a happy, healthy stay-at-home mum of four from North Auckland. She was close to extended family, very social and had long-standing friends.

“My family was my world, and my children are my world.”

She had researched the vaccines early and was against taking it, having researched the risk vs benefits profile. She was also fiercely protective of her children.

“I actually was looking into it. I had let my son’s father know, ‘Don’t you dare vaccinate my boy.’ I was aware of myocarditis and that in young boys.”

Her son was 12 at the time.

But 2021 brought mandates, job threats and intense family pressure. Her daughter’s dream job as a florist was on the line. They weren’t allowed to go to family Christmas. Nicole and her daughter had been adamant that they weren’t going to get the Covid vaccine, but eventually felt they had no choice. Nicole decided to go with her daughter to get the vaccine.

“I’m going to throw myself in there first, if my daughter was getting it — I wasn’t letting her do that alone. If we go down, we go down together.”

They got the same Pfizer batch on the same day. While still in the pharmacy they sent photos to the family, who replied, “I’m so proud of you.”

“That night I woke up in the night crying. I had a really bad headache. And my legs were hurting. I was limping.”

Three weeks after the vaccine she rang her husband as she was experiencing excruciating chest pain, thinking she was having a heart attack. The doctor’s response was direct:

“Don’t get another vaccine!”

Basic heart tests came back fine. They sent her home with brochures about stress and anxiety. Over the following months her symptoms escalated. She tracked her heart rate because of tachycardia and sharp chest pains. She describes her shortness of breath as “crazy”. Eight months later she could hardly breathe as she tried to go for a simple walk on the beach.

“I got out of my car and went to walk on the beach. I got down to the sand and turned around and went straight back to my car. I felt drunk, I felt like I was going to fall over.”

Nicole barely made it to the local clinic, she describes “pretty much falling through the door.” They called an ambulance. At North Shore Hospital they found multiple clots in both of her lungs. Pulmonary embolism. She was told she’d be on blood thinners for life.

She later realised the terrifying initial leg pain and chest episode three weeks after the vaccine was probably the clots passing through her body — this was acknowledged by her doctor.

But yet another health trauma emerged in her family and Nicole needed to sideline getting help for herself: Just five months after Nicole’s diagnosis, her daughter Poppy, developed lumps in her neck and was diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

They spent three weeks in the blood cancer ward.

“Things went downhill real fast with Poppy. She reacted to the chemo. Then she had to get a blood transfusion, and she reacted to that too, and it started attacking her bone marrow. She was in excruciating pain. She lost a lot of weight … we nearly lost her.”

A nurse they had become close with quietly told them that teenage blood cancers have spiked hugely. The nurse told her: “They are so overwhelmed since the rollout of the vaccine.”

Poppy fought hard and is now in remission, travelling the world and “living her best life.” Nicole is emotional knowing her daughter is well.

“It keeps me happy. It makes me really happy.”

Nicole’s own health continued to decline. She was eventually diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

“Lupus attacks everything. It’s your own immune system attacking you. It turns on you, it becomes overactive and it gets confused.”

Before the vaccine Nicole describes herself as happy and “really healthy.” Afterwards it has been “one thing after another.” She says the healthcare journey is “traumatic”. Many doctors advised her not to mention the vaccine. One cardiologist stopped her mid-sentence when she answered honestly about when the tachycardia started:

“You know what? I’m just going to stop you right there. You could possibly have these conversations (about vaccine injury) with a private cardiologist, but here in the public system, we cannot speak on that.”

Nicole has been told by other doctors that’s it’s best she doesn’t bring it up because she’ll “be treated differently” and given a different level of care.

Through it all, her children and supportive partner keep her going. She tried returning to work as a disability carer but had to cut her hours as her health deteriorated. She can no longer work and feels like a burden.

Her once-close family are now divided.

“There’s a huge division now between me and my family. I find I have to be careful what we say with each other. We were very political and we were on the same side … but I’m not on the same side of them anymore.”

She was labelled selfish, told she had gone down a “rabbit hole,” and called a “conspiracy theorist” and a “bad mum” for trying to protect her children — even though her kids are fully vaccinated for other diseases. She says: “It was just this one.”

Despite her efforts — and bullying she endured for trying to safeguard him — her 12-year-old son was vaccinated without her knowledge or consent, lured by a Pak’nSave voucher. She only discovered it months later when taking him to doctors to investigate his chest pain and get X-rays. Since then, his health has declined too, compounding the family’s pain.

Nicole’s determination to protect her 12 year old son was because she had researched the emerging risks and was acutely aware of myocarditis concerns, especially for the young. This knowledge was also known by officials — including Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield, who was briefed on myocarditis risks in youth by the COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group as early as July 2021, and at various times afterwards.

Later advice in December 2021 specifically cautioned against two-dose mandates or vaccine pass requirements for 12–17-year-olds which were being imposed at the time under the Covid-19 Protection Framework Order. This was also known by the then COVID response Minister, Chris Hipkins and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Mums like Nicole weren’t guessing — they were informed and protective. Their voices were dismissed and she was bullied — while the system that knew the risks proceeded anyway, even stoking the social coercion. Her wish is for accountability for those who overrode parents like her and who lied to society about the risks.

This story is part of The Tribute NZ project — giving voice to New Zealanders whose Covid vaccine injuries are still minimised or ignored.

 Watch Nicole’s full episode now on YouTube or Spotify

In this episode of THE+TRIBUTE, 28-year-old Casey Hodgkinson delivers a powerful account of a young life forever changed by a single Pfizer dose on September 9, 2021.

What started as compliance to protect her dream warehouse job ended in neurological catastrophe, years of medical gaslighting, media smears and bureaucratic battles—culminating in ACC cover approval on August 11, 2025. 

Before the injection, Casey embodied vitality and joy. 

“My health was the best that’s ever been. I was working Monday to Friday doing the job of my dreams. I had it all. I loved singing, I was singing all the time, I was enjoying life. You’d find me humming at work. I just remember feeling very content” 

The jab, administered intravenously instead of intramuscularly by an incompetent vaccinator, triggered rapid onset symptoms: 

“It took one vaccine for this to happen to me. After an hour I started slowly having symptoms. I had a numb tongue. My body was feeling very off. I collapsed at work. remember crawling to the car.” 

From the moment her symptoms erupted — numb tongue, spasms, unbearable “ten out of ten” pain and full-body convulsions — she encountered a system primed for skepticism rather than empathy. At emergency care and subsequent visits to North Shore and Auckland hospitals, staff immediately flagged the vaccine link but reacted with reluctance and outright hostility: 

“They treated me like I was insane.”

Casey describes how doctors and nurses refused to test or investigate despite visible spasms and vocal tics, as if acknowledging a possible vaccine connection was untenable. In one harrowing instance, during severe episodes where she couldn’t move, walk, or control her body, she was sent to a unit reserved for the dying: 

“I remember hearing people dying around me. That was very hard.” 

Isolated and in agony, she repeatedly pressed the call button for basic needs like using the toilet, only to be ignored until she had to crawl across the floor to avoid soiling herself— a stark symbol of dehumanization amid pandemic overload and fear. The dismissal escalated to invalidation when a psychologist, summoned because staff assumed her symptoms were psychosomatic, casually diagnosed her as having “TikTok hysteria.” Implying her suffering stemmed from social media trends rather than a real physiological event, reinforcing the narrative that her pain was fabricated or exaggerated. 

“I was too busy working to be on TikTok like that. The only thing different is I took a new vaccine, and now I’m like this. What’s going on?”

Even attempts at treatment backfired: hospitals administered schizophrenic medications and calming sprays that worsened her condition, multiple GPs dismissed her via phone consultations under Covid restrictions. Specialists and ACC reviewers—often deciding without ever meeting her—perpetuated denial, attributing everything to stress she hadn’t experienced pre-injury. It took a compassionate GP who finally reassured her  that “this is happening to you,” and advocated for proper help to break the cycle of gaslighting. 

“This doctor particularly, he saved my life in a lot of ways. And I will always be grateful for him. I was shaking, I walked in and he looked at me and straightaway knew. Oh, bless him. He helped me a lot. He was able to get me the help I needed.”

This pattern of disbelief, minimization, and outright rejection not only prolonged her suffering but deepened the trauma, turning a medical crisis into a battle against a system that seemed more invested in protecting the Covid vaccine from disrepute than protecting a harmed patient—leaving Casey to question her reality and sanity as she quickly lost trust in healthcare professionals.

Media and online attacks compounded the isolation when a Givealittle fundraiser for Casey was labeled a “scam” by immunologist and Deputy Chair of the Malaghan Institute ’s trust board, Professor Graham Le Gros, in aNovember 2021 Stuff article “Covid19: Vaccine experts call for proof as Givealittle scam page stays live.”

Vaccinologist and Co-Director of the Global Vaccine Data Network, Helen Petousis-Harris, also claimed the Givealittle page Casey’s friend had set up to help her get through her loss of job and severe health problems “should not be seen as evidence that the girl’s symptoms have been caused by a vaccine.” She argued the page should be taken down as Casey should be “applying for ACC.”

Le Gros said her “symptoms and behaviour are not related to vaccines but to other behaviours and issues” that her claims do not “make medical sense.”

“They smeared my character, they smeared my name, they just saw a Givealittle page and just assumed. If you’re going to make comments — come and meet me, come see my life. Come for like a day. See what I deal with!” 

Casey managed to speak to the reporter, Nathan Morton, who did not retract the story or apologise. But she found a way to forgive them: 

“I did come to a point where I forgave them, their cluelessness, truly, they had no idea.” 

After four gruelling years of advocacy, in August 2025, ACC finally approved her injuries: “Injection puncture wound incorrectly administered to the vascular system; Spike protein induced neuroinflammation; induced neurological autoimmunity manifesting as encephalitis with seizures; peripheral neuropathy and Guillain-Barré syndrome; Encephalitis and epilepsy.” ACC’s long-awaited decision brought immense relief.

“That’s a weight. That’s a whole weight off my back that I’ve been holding for years. Four years, give or take, of fighting so hard just for help.”

Daily life remains challenging.

“I still can’t walk properly. Brain fog. I can’t swallow properly. Just simple things like showering or walking to get a letter from the letter box. It’s very interesting having to think about the little things. Make’s you appreciate it.”

Casey’s amazing spirit endures, helped by her faith and determination. Drawing from Jesus’ teachings, she emphasizes “love and light” amid misunderstanding. 

“Something that aligned me with Jesus was love and light – within love we can understand, and through light it shines the truth.”

Her final message is one of perseverance: 

“Keep fighting. Keep pushing for yourself. Even when you think you’re down, stand back up and fight. My will is stronger than whatever issues I have to face. I’m going to keep going. I’m going to keep fighting.”

Casey’s testimony stands as another tribute in a growing chorus demanding accountability, informed consent, and compassion for vaccine-injured Kiwis—proving that behind official narratives real lives were damaged, but through sheer will, they have fought the system and won.

The team at The Tribute wishes Casey strength, joy and continued progress in reclaiming her young life stolen from her.

 Watch Casey’s full episode now on YouTube or Spotify