A former pilot turned realtor in the Okanagan says he has received the first approval letter and payout from Canada's vaccine injury compensation program..Ross Wightman posted to his Facebook page the letter he received dated May 20 from the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP). ."Some long-awaited recognition from the government," he said in the post that included a copy of the letter indicating his "claim has been approved for compensation." ."We were very [skeptical] as to where this process would go early on, as the service we were getting was appalling. That being said, I have to give credit where credit is due, and our current case manager and project lead has been excellent.".Wightman thanked his wife "Nicole 'pit bull' Wightman" for assisting with staying on top of all the paperwork during the process of his claim. .The letter received by Wightman started by offering him "our deepest sympathies for your ongoing health struggles" and thanked him for submitting his claim with VISP. ."Following an assessment of your case, it has been determined by our Medical Review Board that there is probable causal association between the injury(ies) sustained and the vaccination," said VISP in the letter, adding, "As such your claim has been approved for compensation." .Wightman redacted the amount of his payout stated in the letter which indicates the "indemnity will be paid as a lump sum and is tax exempt." .The letter then instructs Wightman to sign and return the attached "Payment Conditions Form," — which he did not share in the post — in order to receive his payout. .Wightman, when asked if he was satisfied with his indemnity amount, told the Western Standard no amount of money would make up for what he has endured, but said, "It is more about validation for me. Validation this was related to the vaccine." ."As I understand it, the offer so far is just the starting point and as things come up, it can be added to the payout up to a limit, I believe," said the father of two who is still undergoing rehabilitation from his vaccine-induced paralysis. .He said his case manager told him he was "the first to either receive the letter or the first to get a payout" in Canada. Wightman said he has been working with a lawyer to make sure his interests are covered. .According to other posts on Wightman's Facebook page, the Okanagan realtor suffered an extreme reaction to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in April 2021. Wightman said within days of his first shot, he experienced excruciating back pain, then tingling in his face, then finally, paralysis. ."It hit me hard right away. I had the paralysis from the waist down, full facial paralysis. I had trouble chewing and swallowing," he told CBC News in a February interview. .The father of two was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare condition affecting the nervous system that can cause paralysis, muscle weakness, and even death..Wightman posted a recent update on May 17 discussing his vaccine injury a year earlier. ."One year ago today I woke up in KGH paralyzed. As you can see by the video, things are coming along nicely. Not fast enough for me, however, I’ll take my gains where I can get them as I still have a long road ahead of me," Wightman wrote in us update. ."I can’t [thank enough] my wife and kids, family, friends and new friends for all of your support. The nurses, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, rehab assistants, personal trainers and massage therapist that have helped me get to where I am today. The support from the community and my real estate partners has been humbling.".Wightman said he soon plans to start tackling driving again and warned, "watch out for me on the road." .VISP began accepting applications for Canadians claiming a vaccine injury in June 2021. The Government of Canada program is designed to compensate people for lost wages and permanent injuries as well as families who lost a loved one due to an adverse reaction to the vaccine. .The Western Standard contacted VISP and inquired how many applications they have seen to date, along with how many have been approved, but did not receive a response in time for publishing.
