More than 11 months after becoming paralyzed from the waist down 12 days after getting his second dose of a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, Julian Scholefield is waiting for the Canadian government’s decision on his request for compensation.
“I’m paralyzed now, not because of a reckless accident, but because I followed the guidelines of our government, and so that validation and recognition is definitely something that would mean a lot to me,” Scholefield told CBC News.
Scholefield, a 45-year-old in British Columbia, was diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), a rare neurological disorder that causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord that damages myelin — the protective covering of nerve fibers. “My life has become a daily struggle and my wife and children must provide care and assistance for me,” Scholefield said.