Carrie Sakamoto, a previously healthy young woman, is suing the federal government and the CBC after following what she calls 'misinformation' and experiencing severe adverse effects after receiving her second COVID-19 shot..Empowered Canadians and The Institute for Freedom and Justice are supporting and raising funds for Sakamoto's lawsuit..The mother of three, who suffered significant physical and psychological harm, including permanent Bell’s Palsy, thought she was doing “the right thing” by following the advice and information from the government and the CBC about the COVID-19 vaccines..Shortly after receiving the vaccine, Sakamoto, 47, began to feel unwell, and her condition progressively deteriorated. Ultimately, she sought medical attention at Lethbridge Hospital and she was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy as her condition worsened.."Sakamoto had previously presented at the hospital but was turned away due to the absence of a discernible cause for admission," Empowered Canadians and The Institute for Freedom and Justice said..READ MORE: COVID-19 vaccine-injured mom sues gov't, CBC for $10.5M over misinformation, negligence.Upon her admission to Lethbridge Hospital, Sakamoto's face, mouth, and tongue were paralyzed. She had trouble swallowing, eating, and blinking..Her brain exhibited signs of swelling, and she frequently experienced bouts of vomiting..She described the sensation as if her "brain was on fire.".Sakamoto remained hospitalized for 17 days, during which time she relied on a feeding tube. Before her discharge, she underwent extensive rehabilitation to regain her ability to walk, chew and swallow..Following a thorough medical evaluation, Sakamoto was diagnosed with severe and permanent Bell's Palsy attributed to the Pfizer vaccine. As a result, she has endured facial paralysis, hearing loss, vision impairment, dizziness, anxiety, depression, memory loss, cognitive impairment, synkinesis, sleep disruption, speech impairment, tinnitus and vertigo..She says these chronic health issues have significantly impacted her life, compromising her ability to drive, further exacerbating her isolation and the challenges faced by her and her children..According to the statement of claim filed on June 30 this year, on April 21, 2021, Carrie was administered a vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca at the Exhibition Pavilion in Lethbridge, Alberta. On June 18, 2021, Sakamoto was administered the Pfizer vaccine at the Exhibition Pavilion in Lethbridge, Alberta.."Immediately following the administration of the Pfizer Vaccine, Carrie experienced severe flu-like symptoms including nausea, dizziness, and fever. Her symptoms continued to get worse throughout the week," the court document reads..To accommodate her needs and attend medical appointments and rehabilitation treatments, Sakamoto and her family were compelled to sell their rural family farm and relocate to an urban area..While Sakamoto was granted limited support through the federal Vaccine Injury Support Program, the amount received did not adequately cover the full extent of her injuries, psychological impact, or financial losses resulting from her vaccine-related injuries..In an attempt to share her vaccine injury story with the public and medical professionals to enhance awareness and improve the management of vaccine-related injuries, Sakamoto reached out to various mainstream media outlets (MSM) she said..However, none agreed to share her story. In response, she turned to TikTok to share her story. Many individuals have reached out, thanking her for sharing her story, and Sakamoto has endeavoured to help others by listening to them and sharing her personal experiences.."In the fall of 2021 and into early 2022, Carrie reached out to many Canadian MSM networks, including the CBC, to tell them her story so they could share the impacts of adverse events from the Covid-19 vaccines with the public and medical doctors," the statement of claim reads.."She was advised that they could not report on information that negatively reported on the COVID-19 Vaccines.".The lawsuit, filed in the Court of King’s Bench in Lethbridge, Alberta, against the federal minister of Health, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Dr. Celia Lourenco, Alberta Health Services, and the CBC (the “Defendants”) claims the Defendants were negligent, provided information they knew to be false and incomplete, and they censored and suppressed truthful and reliable information about vaccine injuries which caused harm to Ms. Sakamoto.."The representations made by the Defendants instilled fear in Carrie regarding the COVID pandemic causing her to take the COVID Vaccines in the belief that it would protect her health and safety, and the health and safety of those around her," the statement of claim said..The lawsuit goes on to allege misfeasance in public office by health officials in various governmental agencies..“I think Canadians will be shocked to learn about the rushed changes the government made to the safety standard for vaccines at the start of COVID,” said Eva Chipiuk of Chipiuk Law, representing Ms. Sakamoto..“At the same time the Defendants were aggressively assuring the public that the COVID-19 vaccines were 'safe and effective,' those same agencies had worked to change the approval standard by removing the requirement for the COVID-19 vaccines to be either 'safe' or 'effective.'.The Government has already conceded, to the Public Accounts Committee, that the contracts with the manufacturers were rushed, did not contain the normal standards, and provided additional indemnities in favour of the manufacturers.”.Chipiuk said the Defendants held themselves out as public health experts, reporting on behalf of health experts, or as public health broadcasters..“They intentionally set out to build a relationship of trust between themselves and the public during COVID at a time when they knew the public was vulnerable and afraid,” Chipiuk said..“They knew or ought to have known that the public would be relying on their information for their health, safety and protection. Ms. Sakamoto relied, to her detriment, on the representations made by the government and the CBC and this resulted in serious permanent harm to Ms. Sakamoto.”.Chipiuk said Ms. Sakamoto was not alone. Millions of Canadians relied on the representations of the Defendants at a time when they were particularly vulnerable..“We now know that many Canadians suffered physical and psychological injuries due to the misinformation and negligence of the Defendants. This lawsuit seeks justice for one Canadian who has suffered significant harm and, if successful, it might provide guidance for others to follow,” Chipiuk said..“The lawsuit seeks compensation for Ms. Sakamoto. It will also show the importance of holding government and media organizations to account on public health issues and will hopefully lead to more responsible governance as well as more complete accurate news coverage in the future.”
