Swine flu jab made me see dead people
Family of lad left with narcolepsy after vaccine to battle on for compensation
Sam with dad Mick and mum Di and different to his usual self. He’s a bright child, but he started falling behind at school and struggling with basic spelling. And his behaviour got worse.”
Sam’s health deteriorated and he had a string of hospital appointments before doctors discovered his narcolepsy.
They also found he has catoplexy – similar to epilepsy but longer lasting.
And his heat regulation system is damaged, meaning that even in warm sunshine he can develop hypothermia. As well as sometimes falling down asleep Sam with dad before vaccine wrecked his life in the street, he suffers anxiety and depression – and is plagued by nightmares.
Di, 50, said: “In his dreams he can see and smell dead people. One night he came downstairs and told us he could smell rotting meat in his dreams.
“He would wake up terrified and then we would get him back to sleep. But the dreams would start again where they left off.” Di, of Batley, West Yorks, had to quit her job at an engineering business to become Sam’s full-time carer. She said: “We want compensation so Sam can enjoy a better quality of life.” Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and France have already compensated Pandemrix narcolepsy sufferers. The UK government refused to acknowledge a link until 2013 – but have always fought claims.
The case upheld by the Court of Appeal was of a seven-year-old boy. The authorities acknowledged a ‘causal link’ between his narcolepsy and the vaccine, but the case focused on whether he was disabled enough for compensation.
HELPED
Fears the UK government would go to the Supreme Court were allayed by Di’s local MP Tracy Brabin who called a debate in parliament that helped open the way for other sufferers to claim. She said: “In these rare, traumatic cases it’s only right the Government steps up”.
Experts estimate 100 people in the UK were affected. The pay-out is a one-off £120,000. A government spokesman said: “All decisions take into account the specific circumstances of each case.” GSK said: “Patient safety is our No1 priority. It is crucial we learn more about how narcolepsy is triggered.
Di added: “We want to be able to move on. It feels like we have been fighting for so long.”
keir.mudie@mirror.co.uk
We’d calm him down but dreams would start again where they left off
MUM DI ON HER SON’S TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES