[00:00:00]

Shawn Buckley

So our next witness is Colleen Brandse. Colleen, can you start by stating your full name for the record, spelling your first and last name?

Colleen Brandse

Colleen Brandse, C-O-L-L-E-E-N B-R-A-N-D-S-E.

Shawn Buckley

And do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Colleen Brandse

I do.

Shawn Buckley

Now, my understanding is that for 28 years you worked as a registered nurse in the province of Ontario.

Colleen Brandse

Yes.

Shawn Buckley

And when the COVID-19 vaccines came along you were hesitant. Am I right about that?

Colleen Brandse

Yes, I was.

Shawn Buckley

Can you share with us the steps you took because you were hesitant?

Colleen Brandse

Well, I was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma in February, 2021. And I knew as a nurse that that’s my immune system. And I knew enough—my gut had told me and I knew enough—that I didn’t really feel comfortable taking something that wasn’t tested and proven and that was new.

So I thought— Well, my GP had mentioned that I should take it and I said, “I’d prefer to wait to talk to the oncologist.” I waited and I spoke with her in June and she said, “I’m telling everybody to get it.” And I said, “So you don’t think that I’m going to have any adverse reactions? That’s my immune system.” She said, “No, you’ll be fine.” And she recommended I take them three weeks apart.

Shawn Buckley

Okay, so armed with that information, what did you do?

Colleen Brandse

I did what she said. I trusted her. So I took my first on June 7, 2021. And three weeks exactly later, I took my second.

Shawn Buckley

And what was the result of that?

Colleen Brandse

Well, my first injection, I had some tingling in the face and weird sensations, but it went away. So I thought, “Okay, well, that’s just anxiety, you’re nervous.” And it resolved within a half hour or so.  I thought okay, I’m fine; it’s just anxiety. I’ll get the second shot in three weeks. So I did.

Initially, I was fine. And then two weeks exactly to the day I started developing shooting pains in my feet, which eventually led to numbness and foot drop, numbness up my legs.  And a month or so later, I was still questioning. I had a CT of the spine to make sure that I didn’t have any issues with my spine that was causing it. I had seen a foot clinic. They kind of didn’t feel that it was related to my spine and explained it and I agreed. So my eyebrows were starting to get raised at that point. Then about four weeks, five weeks later, my vision went in my right eye. And then my cousin had the exact same thing. And I knew at that point: okay, this is definitely the vaccine.

Then come December I had a lot of different things. There’s way too many to even list because every system has been affected. I ended up with mottled legs, they’re still mottled; pericarditis; increased shortness of breath; worsened vocal cord paralysis, where I almost had to have a trach done. I have double-brain aneurysms that were unable to be surgically repaired that needed urgent surgery because I’ve been gaslit and nobody will help me.

I guess that’s probably what I found the most difficult about this whole experience, is not only the physical, the isolation, loss of family, friends, people telling me I’m nuts but as a nurse, to go to hospital after hospital or specialist and plead with them to help me so I can get my brain surgery done and have nobody help. It’s just been— There’s no words.

Shawn Buckley

Can I just, and I don’t mean to interrupt, but you worked in the hospital system for 28 years.

[00:05:00]

Had you ever seen patients being turned away that needed surgery like you needed?

Colleen Brandse

No. As a matter of fact, I’ve used that as an example. I’ve said, “People used to go to the ER for a bladder infection.” And how is it— One thing that raised a red flag to me initially was when they were telling people, “If you have symptoms, go home. Don’t come back with your symptoms until you can’t breathe.” Well, by then you’re dead almost. And that just didn’t, I just couldn’t understand. So I don’t know, I think that the gaslighting and the amount of lives that have been lost and that will be lost—mine possibly and pretty much will be—is absolutely devastating when a lot of them could have been helped.

Shawn Buckley

Can I ask?  You’ve used the term “gaslighting” a couple of times, and can you explain for us what exactly you’re referring to? Give us some examples?

Colleen Brandse

Yeah. Well, I’ve been to the ER a few times. And when I presented my neurological issues, symptoms of having TIAs, which is a warning to stroke, of course they rushed me right to the back. They were going to do everything. When I showed them my mottled legs and voiced concern about blood clotting, as soon as the doctor asked me when it all started and I mentioned the vaccine, I was done and out of there within a half hour.

Shawn Buckley

So I just want to make sure I understand. I’ve got two questions, but the first one is, can you explain for us what you mean when you say mottled legs?

Colleen Brandse

Typically, before somebody passes away, within hours to maybe a day or two, you’ll notice that their legs—quite often it starts in the knees—will get like a veiny look. But not just like a varicose vein, it’s everywhere.

Shawn Buckley

Okay, so you were seeing that on your legs. That’s what you mean when you say you had mottled legs.

Colleen Brandse

Yes.

Shawn Buckley

Now, I just want to make sure I understand what you’re saying. So you attended at the hospital, you were just telling of this time and they’re taking you very seriously. You’ve indicated to them you may be having a stroke. You’ve gone to the back. There’s this concern about mottled legs. But as soon as you mention that you think that it’s connected to the vaccine, the treatment changed?

Colleen Brandse

It absolutely did. I was sent home within a half an hour when a CT should have been done. They should have ran way more tests to find out if I had what was called anti-phospholipid syndrome, because you’re high risk with clot issues. Plus, I had had a pulmonary embolism when I was 29. So that should have automatically been a, “Whoa, let’s check this girl.”

Shawn Buckley

Right. You had the misfortune actually, because of your career as a nurse, to understand that you were not being treated properly.

Colleen Brandse

Absolutely. And I thought that might carry a little weight, but apparently it didn’t.

Shawn Buckley

Now, my understanding is also your family has been affected by the vaccine. Can you share that with us?

Colleen Brandse

Sorry—

Shawn Buckley

No, take your time, please.

Colleen Brandse

Excuse me. In July of 2021, my husband was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He had surgery. They said they got it all. They were pretty sure. July 2022, he had his one-year follow-up. They said he was clear: no cancer, bloodwork was good, CT was good.

Around the same time, I get a call from my son that he’s at the hospital and he’s had chest pain and that they told him that it was probably anxiety. I said, “Do not leave the hospital, Connor, without a CT and a D-dimer.” So they did that. And it ended up he had a pulmonary embolism. He’s 23. Around the same time, two weeks give-or-take—I can’t recall right now, I’m too nervous—my husband had the same with multiple blood clots.

[00:10:00]

And that was the same month that he was roughly cleared of his cancer. It was, give-or-take, a few weeks either way. Then within five months, my husband—at Christmas, December 20th, 2022—was told that he had stage four liver cancer that had metastasized from the colon.

Shawn Buckley

And both your husband and your son are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine?

Colleen Brandse

Yeah, my son has two and my husband had three.

Shawn Buckley

I’m sorry that this is so difficult and we so appreciate you sharing with us. Can you tell us the impact that these vaccinations have had on you and your family?

Colleen Brandse

There’s not enough time. There really isn’t. There’s so much that I could go on and on about.  I mean, I worry about getting a call that my son, who’s 23, he thinks he’s invincible. He’s at that age. He’s working out, he’s playing hockey. I keep waiting for the phone call. Because he’s not totally compliant with his meds. Now my husband’s getting chemo and now will have to have chemo for the rest of his life, which, by the looks of how he’s doing right now, it’s not looking good. I’ve got him on other stuff and I’m doing what I can to try and reverse and have a miracle come. I live in fear of what my future is going to be. Because, I mean, I might lose my home.

There’s so much, but I am just devastated. I’m devastated how our government knew that there was issues and still allowed the people— And to now even continue after they know what’s come out. I could see if, you know, Pfizer or Moderna had produced a product that it was an emergency and they had to get it out and they weren’t quite sure. But I mean, it has been known now for well over a year that there’s people dying—and in way higher numbers than are ever reported.

I’ve reported myself. And I was told by the health unit nurse that they determined all of my issues were pre-existing. I said, “Well, I figured that’s what would come back.” It’s criminal.

And I can’t even get a doctor that can diagnose anything. I just got an appointment for a neurologist to do my EMG testing, which is your nerve testing, to diagnose me with small fibre neuropathy. And that’s not for two years. I mean, I’ll be dead by then. Or could be—I shouldn’t say that.

Shawn Buckley

Thank you, Colleen. I don’t have any further questions for you. I’ll ask if the commissioners have any questions. The commissioners don’t have any questions.

Colleen, on behalf of the National Citizens Inquiry, we sincerely thank you.

Colleen Brandse

Thank you. And I thank you for coming and listening.

[00:14:13]

Final Review and Approval:  Jodi Bruhn, August 16, 2023.   

The evidence offered in this transcript is a true and faithful record of witness testimony given during the National Citizens Inquiry (NCI) hearings. The transcript was prepared by members of a team of volunteers using an “intelligent verbatim” transcription method.

For further information on the transcription process, method, and team, see the NCI website: https://nationalcitizensinquiry.ca/about-these-transcripts/

Summary

RN with 28 years of experience was diagnosed in February of 2021 with T-cell lymphoma. After speaking to the oncologist, it was recommended she take 2 doses of the COVID vaccine three weeks apart. Within two weeks she started experiencing foot and leg pain, then the vision went in her right eye, By the half year mark she had mottled legs, pericarditis, vocal cord paralysis, and two brain aneurysms.

She was in the emergency department with serious neurological and stroke-like symptoms and attended by staff and doctor immediately. The doctor asked when these symptoms started and there was a clear change in treatment ones she mentioned that it started after the vaccine. She was sent home without CT scan or further testing, with her knowledge as a nurse.

Her 23 year old son and her husband both were vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and both diagnosed with pulmonary embolisms. Her husband was cleared of any cancer in July 2022 and in December 2022 he was told that he had stage 4 liver cancer.

She reported her medical conditions to the Health Unit nurse and they said that they had determined it was all pre-existing. She is devastated and lives in fear of what the future holds.