DTaP Vaccine Causes Brain Damage in Ten Month Old After 12 Hours

Vaccine injuries are not rare, no matter how much mainstream media and the pharmaceutical companies want to lead us to believe. What is rare, however, is when doctors fully admit when a vaccine injury occurs and they inform the mother her child was seriously injured as a result of vaccines. Amanda Mickelson found herself in this position when her daughter, Riley, suffered brain damage from the DTaP (Diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis) vaccine within 12 hours of injection. Except, Amanda was in disbelief and initial denial when the doctors concluded that the vaccine caused Riley’s brain damage.

This life-changing situation resulted in Amanda’s deeper quest for answers about vaccine risks. Riley is now 4 year’s old and is still working to make a complete recovery from the vaccine injury. Amanda describes her daughter’s severe vaccine injury story in midst of legislation pushes to remove vaccine exemptions in Washington State and all across the United States.

Amanda: My husband and I gave vaccination our full support! My husband, as an enlisted soldier, is fully up-to-date on vaccines.

Our daughter, Riley, was born November 20, 2014. When she was a newborn we asked doctors to schedule her allergy testing to have the results in time for her 2-month injections. They informed us they do not allergy test newborns for vaccines. After that, we requested genetic testing to identify any existing vaccine risks. The doctor once again refused our request. Surprised by this, we declined vaccinations until she was at an age more suitable for identifying the beginning symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Ten months went by before my infant was exposed to a disease with an available vaccine. Like so many parents during this whooping cough outbreak, we rushed our daughter into a clinic that night for a vaccination on October 2nd. The doctor told us the worst thing that could happen was a rash, fever, discomfort, and in rare cases, an allergic response. I had no idea doctors were not required to give us full informed consent to a vaccine. That night I worried about the fraction of a chance she had contracted that disease and if that disease would lead to a fraction of a chance that she would be hospitalized. I had no idea of the true nightmare awaiting us the next morning.

There was no warning or indication of the danger. Twelve hours post vaccine injection, my daughter looked into my face as the life silently faded from her in an instant. The brain damage left her unresponsive and no longer breathing on her own. She turned an unmistakable shade of gray that will never be forgotten. An intensive care unit doctor informed us, that if I had not been looking right at our baby, she would have been dead within minutes. After she was breathing on her own again, the seizures took over her body. Doctors could do nothing to stop the progression of brain damage caused by vaccine ingredients. The brain damage had to subside naturally before knowing the extent of the injury and even then doctors told us the full extent of damage to the baby is never certain. In the intensive care unit, as she lay there, we were unable to hold her. The concluding diagnosis was brain damage from vaccine injury. However, I did not accept that diagnosis. I demanded they find another answer to the brain damage because I was the parent who gave consent. I was desperate to reject the guilt that accompanies consenting to a medical product that gambled the life of a child. I did not want to be the one at fault, unfortunately. I’m not the only parent who understands that banishment of guilt.

REGARDING VACCINE MANDATES: My husband is a soldier, but any child we create would not have the civil right to an education if these mandates pass. Siblings of vaccine-injured children are not protected by medical exemptions by personal exemptions alone. Legislators have stated intentions to further restrict the qualifications to these medical exemptions for children. Not extend protection for at-risk children. Have you ever thought about how to tell your child they live in a nation that strips them of an equal opportunity to their human rights based on their genetic inability to comply? Parents of the 40,000 Washington State schoolchildren with exemptions are shaken today attempting to prevent a reality where our government ignores the guarantee of education for all without discrimination!

I might not make an impact, but I will speak up regardless because after 62 years of education integration, I will not let Washington State fall back into segregation. These 40,000 children shall not be judged by their genetic inabilities to qualify for their civil rights! Education is not a privilege to be granted, but a human right by birth! The right to an education is an irrevocable entitlement held by all citizens not just the vaccinated! Public school is a government service and to deny our children the right to attend is a civil rights violation! I refuse to be silent as our government stands to repeat history by once again debating the legalization of segregation in our schools based on a child’s genetics!

I have faith that Americans will take back their children’s rights and the rights of their neighbors. That we will continue to rise up until every state in this nation restores liberty, civil rights, and the basic human right to an education free from the discrimination and segregation of children. It is my hope that every state across this nation hears the roar pouring out of Olympia! Let us tell the world that violating the civil and human rights of Americans will never go without an opposition fighting to defend the core values of the United States of America.

Keep fighting the good fight!

Q&A with Amanda:

Q: What are all the vaccines from birth to current that Riley has received, including dates or months of each?

Amanda: Vitamin K and Hepatitis B was 11-20-2014. DTaP was 10-2-2015.

Q: What prompted you to ask for the allergy and genetic tests before her 2-month vaccines? Were you ever able to get her tested through a naturopath or functional medicine doctor?

Amanda: While pregnant I was told repeatedly by everyone to always be on the lookout for allergic reactions. They made recommendations saying I have no idea what her allergies might be. That’s just because Devan and I are fine with something she may not be because she has a different combination of genetics. They told me to watch for allergic reactions to diapers, laundry detergents, perfumes, cleaners, foods, etc. I took this to heart because I know two people with severe allergies that require the constant carrying of medical intervention pens.

Given that everyone seemed to stress the issue on top of seeing severe allergic reactions growing up, I assumed all babies were allergy tested for vaccines before administering the schedule and I assumed they also did a basic food allergy test before a baby was transitioned into solids. When I asked, it was more of a when are we scheduling the allergy test for her vaccines question and not as much of a request for the test to be done. It was a surprise to me when they said they did not do that. I figured it must have been because the method of test I asked for had a complication of some sort in a young baby. I knew they did genetic testing of a newborn baby, so I requested that one instead.

Thinking back to how people said her allergies would be different because she is a different person with a different genetic combination. The idea that they mass injected all newly born infants without testing them first for risks did not seem logical at the time. I was extremely shocked to discover that is how they vaccinated. Riley saw a pediatric doctor that was at an average medical clinic for children and not any kind of specialty doctor. He did not agree to do her testing at that point. He made it clear that no one would do those even with private funding aside from insurance coverage. He said they were a waste of money and medical resources. I believed him that no one would test her.

Q: What information on risks/benefits did the doctor provide? Verbal? A Vaccine info sheet (VIS), the package insert for you to look over, etc?

Amanda: Her pediatric doctor was asked several times what all of the allergic reactions where. I made it very clear I wanted to know every negative reaction, how to identify it, and how to respond to it. I’m an overly protective mother who holds value in understanding prevention, risks, and response. At the time I had no idea vaccine inserts came with vaccines. I only thought they gave you the vaccine info sheet.

I asked verbally what all the reactions would be and how I should identify and respond to them. He told me she could have a fever, rash, discomfort, and tender at the injection site. Then talked about how I should respond that I no longer remember. I stated back to him that allergies to the ingredients had to be a possible reaction. He looked away from me and thought a moment before he assured me it was rare. Stating that if that was the case she would just have hives and he did not believe it was possible to go into any kind of allergic shock. This response made me feel silly for wanting the tests in the first place and waiting to vaccinate. I left there fully believing that there were no dangerous risks. That the worst thing that could happen is her still getting sick because I waited to vaccinate her. They said vaccines take time to work, so they may not protect her if she is already exposed. I believe I was given misleading information to influence my choice.

Q: It seems you had some concerns about her contracting the whooping cough. Did the doctor mention something about this risk and/or how did you discover and know of the risk?

Amanda: Yes, at the time I watched four other children for ten hours a day Monday to Friday. The school sent them home with a flyer about an active whooping cough outbreak in the kids’ school. All three of the children were told to hand these flyers to a parent or adult right away. I asked if they knew who was sick. Then the kids informed me that one of their best friend’s was diagnosed. This best friend Riley typically interacted with daily while I watched the children. This child was very interested in playing caregiver to infant Riley. The individual had lots of hands-on time with Riley. Helping to feed, play, hold, and kiss the baby. I also received a phone call informing me. I told the doctor of the exposure risk and why I was there for the vaccine.

Q: Can you describe more about the details of what happened to Riley? What were her symptoms? You shared in your story she went from fine and healthy to gray. Did you take her directly to the emergency room or called 911? It sounds like she was in intensive care. Could you provide a timeline and more details?

Amanda: She was sitting up on the couch in the living room in the home of the children I watched. We had just gotten back from dropping off the older three at the school bus stop. Riley was sitting up looking at me as we played. She made no sounds or unusual expressions before her eyes rolled back. Was not fussy or upset. Just normal. The very first thing that indicated something was wrong was her eyes rolling back. Then everything else happened in a few moments. It was a very rapid progression. Her eyes rolled back until all I could see was the whites of her eyes and she collapsed. Riley was no longer breathing, she was gray in color, unresponsive, and limp. During this time I had picked her up to lay her down flat onto her back to begin CPR. Later, I was informed that these symptoms happened as a response to the ongoing brain injury disrupting normal brain function.

This home did not have a landline and I rarely have my cellphone on my person especially in a home setting. The home I was watching the children at was less than two miles from the city hospital. Instead of separating from Riley to find a phone, we went directly to the hospital. That hospital had made the choice to transfer her to a hospital with better equipment to care for her before my husband had arrived. Very quickly after his arrival from work, Riley was being placed into an ambulance and transferred to a level four NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit). That NICU neurologist team are the ones who diagnosed the medical issue as a vaccine injury. At the time, I was determined to disprove that because of that previous interaction with our pediatric doctor and because I was the one who gave consent. It was much easier to tell the doctors they are wrong than to admit you said yes to a product that did that to your child. A lot of negative emotions come with that acceptance of the diagnosis and I was eager to reject them instead of facing them head on while we were waiting for what would happen to her.

Q: Did you or the doctor report Riley’s vaccine injury to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)?

Amanda: I’m not sure if the doctor made a VAERS report. I remember her doctor informing us that we needed to go online to fill out information to document the injury using the information they handed us. However, I did not follow through with filling out the information. Filling an injury report out seemed more of an affirmation of the guilt than something we are obligated to complete. Just to accept that guilt between my husband and the doctors was emotionally challenging enough without completing a public report. I was consumed by panic over my daughter’s well-being to the point I was not interested in doing anything unless it directly impacted her health.

The only thing that interested me was intently monitoring her breathing every moment of the day. When a child unexpectedly stops breathing in front of your eyes from a cause you can not visually see or physically prevent then your greatest fear is not being there to see it happen again. You start to think she will stop breathing during the few minutes you do another task. I can not tell you how many times I flew out of bed startling my husband because I woke up with the idea her breathing monitor could have stopped working in the middle of the night without alerting me. The last thing I wanted to do as a parent in that position was affirm publicly that I consented to the injection that comes with risking both the reaction and the impact those reactions have. Although not my informed consent because doctors do not have to give us true informed consent for vaccinations. I think parents who feel like my husband and I are a large contributing factor to why the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that most vaccine injuries are never reported to VAERS. Self-reporting creates a situation where parents who are emotionally distraught by the injury sustained might not comply with the suggestion to report for their own reasons.

For us, it did not help our injured child. It only added to the emotional challenges and took time away from our main focus of making sure she did not have any reoccurring complications. I still get a flood of emotions that leaves me unable to speak clearly on the topic at times even though I have been coping with the regret for several years. I know not reporting to VAERS impacts the records for national statistics, but our emotional health was better off not making the public affirmation and instead just focused on our daughter’s health and recovery.