Anthony Shingler

‘I’m a burden. My wife doesn’t deserve this’

Before Covid, Anthony Shingler was a strong man working 60-hour weeks in the security industry. In 2018, he and his wife Nicola climbed Snowdon, and in 2020 they went on holiday to Cornwall. They enjoyed walking along the cliffs and exploring hidden beaches, whilst Mr Shingler “messed around” with photography.

The 60-year-old is in a very different position now. These days, he needs a mobility scooter, and his hands are fused in a fixed position. He cannot operate a camera, or even manipulate a knife and fork.

At his home in Stoke on Trent, Mr Shingler comes across as jovial.

But his voice wavers as he says: “I feel such a burden.”

Everything changed on March 5 2021 when he received the AstraZeneca vaccination against Covid-19. Like many people, he experienced mild symptoms the next day. But unlike most others, his got substantially worse. Over two weeks, he developed a heavy feeling in his legs, and pins and needles in his hands, feet and lower lip.

He was so unsteady that his wife had to collect him from work. By this point, they sought medical help. But according to Mrs Shingler, he was sent home twice from Royal Stoke University Hospital in Staffordshire, with one doctor suggesting it was an allergic reaction, and another saying it was sciatica.

On March 22, Mr Shingler woke up paralysed from the waist down and returned to hospital. He was subjected to tests, before being taken to intensive care. Mr Shingler had been diagnosed with GBS which can cause paralysis, including problems swallowing and breathing.

Mrs Shingler’s voice cracks as she recalls this time. Covid restrictions meant she was not allowed to accompany him and they had to say their goodbyes over FaceTime. Mrs Shingler also found it hard to get information. Shewas invlved in a heated exchane with a docor after trying to ask whether Mr Shingler was having a reaction to a vaccine.

In the end, he stayed in ICU for eight and a half months. He was discharged in May last year. The next month, he was given a £120,000 payout from the Government’s Vaccine Damage Compensation Scheme. While it has paid for adapting their bathroom and make up for some lost earnings, he is struggling. He adds: “Nickie doesn’t deserve how I am now.”