Stand with Faith

Hi, my name is Kathryn and I am a friend of Faith's family.

 

 

Faith and her family are based in Tasmania, Australia, and thought they were doing the “right thing” in getting their daughter Faith vaccinated as soon as 16-year old’s could, as she was working in a local pharmacy we thought she was more at risk of getting or spreading Covid in our community. Little did we know the events that were to follow and what she would have to go through, and are still going through to this day, Faith's health, physically and mentally deteriorating from the vaccine and they need urgent help.

 

 

 

 

Here is some of her story.

 

 

Faith has just finished year 10 and is normally a busy young lady. She gets good grades at school. She also worked at the local pharmacy a few afternoons a week and last year was Army Cadet of the Year and received the Duke of Edinburgh’s award for recognition of her efforts.

This year she has missed all of this for 17 weeks. No last term of year 10, no work, or Cadets. Faith wanted to go into the Armed Forces when she left school, but that is now not going to happen as she will never get medical clearance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her family understand that with every drug you have a chance of a reaction, they do not dispute that fact. But it’s what you do after it happens that really matters and shows the character of the people who are supposed to help, and also that there is no plan B at all.

 

 

 

 

 

Faith's parents have had to fight for her treatment the whole way since her injection. They are hardworking, people. They run a small business with 4 employees, and help in their local community when they can. Now, they need help!


* It is also important to note that Faith is not eligible for any Government payout as her symptoms are not heart related!

 

Faith had her 1st Pfizer vaccine, and it was normal. No bad side effects other that a sore arm.

 

Aug 7 /8/2021 – Faith’s 2nd Pfizer vaccine. Faith again had a sore arm but by day 4 after the injection she started suffering extreme abdominal pain. Day 5 post vaccine her parents took Faith to hospital. CT scans, ultrasounds and blood tests done and no apparent cause for the pain. It was decided that the surgical team would go in and take out Faith’s appendix and would have a ‘look around” as they called it. Her mother did at this point ask if this could be the vaccine. The response from the surgeon was “don’t be silly”, it’s not the vaccine.

 

 

Faith had her appendix out (which we were later to find was perfectly fine). They returned home the next day and Faith still had so much pain, they thought it was post-surgical.

Faith returned to her Normal GP, and he felt it may be a mast cell disorder and referred her back to her paediatrician, who then referred her to the immunology clinic at the Launceston General Hospital, as her parents had found out about the clinic and asked for a referral.

 

AROUND 5-6 WEEKS after the vaccine they went to the clinic. They were told that Faith had urticaria and other markers. They asked if it was the vaccine, to which they were told, yes, it was the Pfizer vaccine that had triggered all of the symptoms. At this point you would think that the family would be given a treatment plan or an idea of how to get Faith onto her road to recovery, but no such thing happened.

 

AROUND WEEK 9-Faith had deteriorated a lot and was in huge amounts of pain. Again her parents took her to the emergency department at Launceston General Hospital for help in getting her pain under control. They waited for around 5 hours and a lovely registrar was trying to help Faith. It was now around 10pm and the Senior Doctor said that as they had done all the tests it’s nothing serious, so they gave us a script for sleeping tablets and for pain relief. The only issue was that all the pharmacies were closed so, they received no help. AGAIN.

 

The following day Faith was still in so much pain that her mother called the hospital and they told her to call Telehealth, which she did. They told her that if she didn’t take her to hospital, they would call an ambulance.

They took Faith back to the LGH and one of the Paediatric Registrars came down to see her. She remembered Faith from her stay last time. The registrar and her mother agreed to keep Faith in and try and get her some relief from pain and some sleep.

It was now around 1am when they got to the ward. Faith and her mother were about to try and sleep when Faith said she couldn't control her legs and arms, and they kept thrashing about. Her mother immediately called the nurse, who then got the doctor. They both said they had never seen anything like it and the doctor had tears in her eyes as she said she didn’t know what to do.

Between the 3 of them, they came up with Valium to calm the body down. After around 1 hour of tic-ing (as they call it), she fell asleep.

After 4 nights they got home. Faith seemed to start tic-ing again and this time more regularly. Episodes would last for 3 hours non-stop at times. They returned to our GP, and he referred Faith to the Royal Children’s Hospital – Melbourne for treatment.

Faith was now tic-ing like someone with Tourette's syndrome. Their GP said it was beyond anything he could help with. They also received a copy of the letter from the Immunologist who stated, he did NOT think it was the vaccine. Faith's mother then rang his assistant and lodged a formal complaint, as she knew what he had said to her and Faith in person.

2 weeks later they received a letter that stated that in his opinion, it WAS the Pfizer vaccine that was the trigger.

 

AROUND WEEK 12 Faith’s pain was uncontrollable in her abdomen. Tics and sensitivity to light and sound were a huge issue. They went back to the ED and waited 4.5 hours. Faith asked for Panadol and was told no, as she had to see the doctor.

When they got to see the doctor, they were ushered into a tiny room with only one chair. The paediatrician’s first question was, how far away had they parked their car? Faith's mother thought this strange, then he went through all the things Faith DIDN'T have, and told us to be positive, as that was good news.

He then said that the reason for her sickness was “too much screen time.” He went on a rant about it. When Faith's mother asked if he was serious?, he then started finger poking at her saying that she was being upsetting, and that she should go elsewhere and process what he was telling her. At that point they left and went home and contacted her Paediatrician the next day. Again, no help AT ALL. Long hrs spent in the hospital waiting for help or treatment and or some solution. No compassion or understanding for this family, and again they are left to suffer with no answers. To have a sick child and be treated like this by the professionals who are meant to help, is quite soul destroying to say the least. The lack of sleep and emotional upset now is near unbearable for her and her family.

 

WEEK 14-16 Faiths tics are all the time now and frequently at night. She goes into full convulsions that can last for hours and are so painful. Faith has lost almost 10 kilograms and now weighs around 45 kilograms. She still only sleeps for around 4 hours and is taking many medications, but nothing helps. They still had not heard from the Royal Children’s by this stage. Faith was referred to a psychiatrist and he took her off all medication and started her on a new medication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEEK 17 Faiths pain is worse than ever, she barely eats (they have put her on a supplement). She is so fatigued from all of this. The tics are less but unfortunately Faith’s legs have started to give way and she is having trouble walking at all. Obviously, this is extremely concerning.

Last week Faith and her family received a letter from Royal Children’s Hospital – Melbourne and Faith has been put on a 3-month waiting list, that may be extended. Understandably this timeframe is not acceptable, they need help NOW. Faith must have strong medication on occasions for the pain and something to help her sleep at times. This is not healthy for a 16-year-old.

 

Now Faith’s legs are being affected. She will be standing and just fall over. Her parents will often find her on the floor collapsed. She battles sometimes to walk and blacks out. She hardly sleeps or eats. It’s horrendous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith and her family need help now. Not in 3 months, NOW and it is urgent.

She is deteriorating before our eyes, and they can’t do anything else to help her there in Launceston, Tasmania.

We need your help to get her to the Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. We can’t wait 3 months, or I have no doubt that she will end up in a wheelchair and honestly, the psychological effects from all of this is pure trauma.

I don’t know if her family can keep going, or in another 3 months what Faith will we be left with?

 

We are getting her help from a phycologist. All this ongoing fighting for help has taken a huge toll on our whole family. Our entire world has been turned upside down and we are absolutely struggling.

 

 

Faith has deteriorated in the last few days she can’t seem to keep anything down and is in excruciating pain.

She now weights around 41kg.

Launceston General Hospital sent Faith home at 4:30 am this morning after 12 hours in ED because they don’t know how to help her.

 

We need help!

Any help greatly appreciated and will go towards

Doctor's visits

Medications

Psychologists visits

Naturopath visits and medications

Travel costs and accommodation to Hobart

Travel costs to Melbourne and accommodation in the future

 

HER FAMILY ALSO NEED A LAWYER.

 

 

Faith and her parents have had huge loss of income due to their situation. Her parents and younger brother are doing all they can to help Faith but they can not do this on their own. Her father is also being treated for prostate cancer.

They have had much support from the people of Launceston, and thank them with all their hearts.

 

Faith's story is not being told. Please raise awareness. No Paper or media company will assist in telling her story, even though many have been contacted.