A disabled Minnesota Army combat veteran is fighting a new battle — one he never signed up for after he says the COVID vaccine destroyed the life he once knew.
Drew told his story on Liz Collin Reports this week. He doesn’t like to use his last name publicly but readers can follow his story on social media.
Drew signed up to serve right after high school.
“It was right after 9-11 happened. I just figured there had to be something I could do, just a kid from Midwest, 120 pounds soaking wet, I figured I could get some skills and contribute in some kind of way,” Drew said.
He was deployed to Iraq and decided to then join the Minnesota National Guard and continue his service.
In the spring of 2021, at the age of 36, Drew was mandated to receive the COVID vaccine as a member of the military.
“I got it from the VA,” Drew recalled.
“It was done in the atrium … they had some cubicles, and I just went in, sat down and got it. There wasn’t a lot of information. They weren’t really telling me anything. It was just kind of like the basic training assembly line for vaccines on deployment,” Drew said.
Drew said he experienced flu-like symptoms for a couple of days.
“Then, it turned into numbness, tingling, my hands, my feet, my toes. I didn’t think too much of it,” he said.
He was in graduate school and was working in a sales role as a full-time job. He also had a newborn son at the time.
“I just kind of chalked it up to stress,” he said.
Then, he said weakness in his arms and legs set in. Within a couple of days, he could barely move anything.
He initially thought it was COVID. But at the hospital, he received a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) — a progressive peripheral nerve disorder that causes total body paralysis. He had to relearn how to breathe, eat and walk again.
He spent six months in the VA completely paralyzed. He was forced to medically retire from the military due to lingering effects.
“I still have it in my face. As you can tell, if you’ve seen pictures, video of me, before I was running races and leading missions and speaking to two-star generals on a weekly basis. It’s a completely different life now,” Drew said.
“It’s completely changed. I feel like I’m in somebody else’s body now that I can’t control. I’m in constant pain, nerve pain, neuropathy, immobile, unless I have assistive devices,” Drew explained.
“I have ankle foot orthotics that wrap around my legs and go underneath the sole of my foot and the shoe in order to stand upright and hobble around,” he added.
He spends his days now at medical appointments and rehabilitation.
“They told me most people recover within 12 months,” Drew said.
This April will be three years since he received the vaccine and his diagnosis.
“I laid in the hospital bed for months waiting for answers, since it wasn’t COVID. Because they tested me constantly … I was waiting for somebody to come in and really give me honest answers about getting a vaccine and they have this happening, but nobody was connecting the dots there. They just couldn’t talk about it, was my guess,” Drew said.
His medical records now reflect a vaccine injury and not the flu, which he says doctors first tried to blame for his diagnosis.
According to past reports, 8,000 U.S. service members were discharged from the military for refusing the vaccine. The U.S. military eventually reversed a vaccine requirement. Just a few dozen service members who were discharged have decided to re-enlist.
“It just feels like not enough people are standing up to this, whether it be the mainstream media or the people that are pushing this,” Drew said. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to help out other people.”
He would like to see the special liability exemption repealed for pharmaceutical companies and wants the government to stop pushing the vaccines on adults and children.
Drew is facing mounting medical bills that are not covered by insurance.
“If anybody wants to share or say a prayer or donate if possible, it’s greatly appreciated,” Drew said.
A fundraiser has been started to help him and his family.
Liz Collin
Liz Collin has been a truth-teller for 20 years as a multi-Emmy-Award-winning reporter and anchor. Liz is a Worthington, Minnesota native who lives in the suburbs with her husband, son and loyal lab.
