Ross Wightman has become one of the first Canadians to receive compensation for a vaccine injury after being diagnosed with debilitating Guillain-Barre syndrome only days after receiving the COVID vaccine.
“First and foremost, we would like to offer you our deepest sympathies for your ongoing health struggles. We wish you the strength and support to sustain you during this difficult time and wish to thank you for submitting a claim with the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP),” a letter Wightman received and shared with the CBC reads.
“Following an assessment of your case, it has been determined by our Medical Review Board that there is a probable causal association between the injury(ies) sustained and the vaccination. As such, your claim has been approved for compensation.”
“The medical Review Board has also determined the severity of the injury(ies) based on the medical documentation available at the time of assessment. Based on this assessment, you qualify for injury indemnity totalling [redacted]. This indemnity will be paid as a lump sum and is tax exempt.”
Citing privacy concerns, Wightman said he didn’t want to share the total amount he was granted, adding that the highest payout is $284,000, for which he didn’t qualify.
He added that he is also eligible for income replacement of up to $90,000 annually.
Following inoculation with the dangerous COVID vaccine, Wightman subsequently came down with GBS, causing loss of mobility, vision impairment, and several other problems that led to him losing his job as a pilot and real estate investor. He said that while the payments are nice, they’re still less than what he used to make.
“I don’t know what number I can say is enough, but [the payout] is not something that I’m overly excited about,” he said. “The income replacement won’t be what we’ve been used to … so that’s a little disappointing to me.”
Wightman adds that while the paper and the payments don’t change his condition, they are incredibly vindicating.
“That was quite vindicating,” said Wightman. “To have it in hand, in paper, acknowledging it has been vindicating.”
Wightman is one of ten in Canada who’ve been diagnosed with GBS within 30 days of receiving the COVID vaccine. And while Wightman is only one of a few who’ve received compensation following his injury, his case and acknowledgement of the vaccine as causal may pave the way for more vaccine-injured Canadians to be similarly vindicated.
