[00:00:00]

Wayne Lenhardt

Kelcy, could you give us your name, please, and then spell it, and then I’ll do an oath with you.

Kelcy Travis

My name is Kelcy Travis, K-E-L-C-Y T-R-A-V-I-S.

Wayne Lenhardt

And do you promise to tell the truth today, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Kelcy Travis

I promise, I do.

Wayne Lenhardt

Thank you.

Due to the late hour, I think I’m going to lead you a little more than I might otherwise. You suffered certain negatives because of the COVID situation. Could you go back and tell us when it started, and perhaps tell us what financial impact it had on you, as well as on your children.

Kelcy Travis

Absolutely. I have six children. We’re a blended family. We had our daughter in December 2019. I believe we had a COVID infection. I cannot prove that, but I believe we had a COVID infection in the hospital. At that time, I was then pregnant again and I had our son in 2021.

Being pregnant through this and seeing some of our systems from a different angle has rocked my world forever. I won’t ever be able to look at things the same, because I saw evil and I saw corruption, and I saw a lack of transparency and accountability at all levels. The voice that I sent you, my story, I sent across the world. I sent to the United States; I sent to Dublin; I sent to municipal, provincial and federal levels; I sent to the Minister of Government Relations and I was ignored.

I was told it would be better by the end of the year.

I was unable to watch my son Archer in taekwondo. Because I was pregnant and nursing my other son, so I had to make that choice, and I wasn’t allowed in recreational facilities.

Wayne Lenhardt

So you did not get the COVID shot.

Kelcy Travis

I did not. My OB-GYN, at the beginning, told me she understands why I can’t trust the science because it is too new. Halfway through my pregnancy, I was told by Public Health, as I was there with another, older child for an immunization, that I should get the COVID vaccine that day, but I would have to sign a waiver. I’m experienced with non-profits and waivers, and I know when someone’s trying to indemnify themselves and that sent off every warning flag in my body. My partner did get the vaccine because his grandma was dying. So he got two doses of the Moderna vaccine and I’m still scared for him because I can’t lose him.

What I’ve seen—the good and bad in humanity—has shaken me forever and I can’t unsee what I’ve seen.

Wayne Lenhardt

Okay, so you weren’t able to attend your child’s activities and you didn’t want to take the vaccine because you were pregnant. And that had an impact on your ability to earn?

Kelcy Travis

Yes. During COVID, my work was basically shut down. So to try to get maternity leave, I had gotten another position in a similar field. And I was so scared, being eight months pregnant and training and going out into the community, and I kept seeing all the articles from Ottawa of these pregnant women in ICU. I knew I was making the right decision, but I was still scared for myself and my baby. And after I went through all the training and did a skin test, then they put a vaccine mandate in place at the job that I had started,

[00:05:00]

so I was never able to get my hours for maternity leave. The last four years have been extremely difficult in all senses—not just because of COVID, but largely. And I didn’t realize how much I needed people. I didn’t realize how depressed I was.

Wayne Lenhardt

And you have a fairly large family. So you weren’t able to attend your child’s activities, to begin with—

Kelcy Travis

No, and we were one day away from eviction. My partner got laid off and my work refused to give me shifts. I was testing once a week, on Monday, at one of my positions. But what if I got it on Wednesday and carried it through the place? It didn’t make sense to me.

Wayne Lenhardt

Were you able to go to medical appointments with your family?

Kelcy Travis

No, my partner missed the ultrasounds. And I thought, you know, I’m not a new mom; I’m not a first-time mom. I felt really bad for the first-time moms that didn’t get to experience their pregnancy in the way that they should have.

Wayne Lenhardt

Were medical and health appointments a problem?

Kelcy Travis

Yes, they were missed. If they were non-emergent, we weren’t to bring them in, and I’m still dealing with cavities and things that wouldn’t be there if I would have been able to take them in. And a cavity is small, but all these things add up.

Wayne Lenhardt

Did you have any problem getting maternity leave while you were pregnant?

Kelcy Travis

I did not get it. I didn’t qualify for even the reduced hours, because of the vaccine mandate coming into effect at the new job that I had found at eight months pregnant.

Wayne Lenhardt

Did you consult your doctor about getting the vaccine, and what did he say?

Kelcy Travis

I didn’t. I had had family who had consulted our doctors, and I pretty much knew it would be a losing battle for me, so I just stood my ground and I just waited it out.

Wayne Lenhardt

When were you able to get pretty much back to normal?

Kelcy Travis

Now.

Wayne Lenhardt

Have your children—are they behind in school in any way?

Kelcy Travis

My son Archer was about to start kindergarten, so that’s why I put him into taekwondo, so he had some form of socialization outside of his sibling interactions. And that was really good for him. And the day that I was first able to go watch him. I cried in that gym to be able to see him and have our other son, Atlas, in there with us.

This picture I just found last night and my 10-year-old drew this. One house is like a happy house and the other house, in the smoke, it says “Alone.” And she is 12 now and she’s suffering because she’s so social. I homeschooled multiple children because I was scared of them getting sick. When I did get COVID, I thought I was going to die. I had to do my will quick. I was going to leave my babies without their mom. I was so scared, and I think they used our hearts against us.

Wayne Lenhardt

I think I’m going to ask the commissioners if they have any questions at this point, then I’ll come back and wrap up. Are there any questions, Commissioners? No? If there’s anything that you could change about the COVID situation you went through, what would it be?

Kelcy Travis

It would be to have some accountability and some transparency at every level. In all of our institutions, at all of our workplaces, that’s what we deserve. We pay the bill. In more ways than one, we pay the bill.

Wayne Lenhardt

On behalf of the National Citizens Inquiry, thank you very much for your testimony.

Kelcy Travis

Thank you for letting me speak.

[00:10:40]

Final Review and Approval: Jodi Bruhn, August 21, 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

Kelcy and her partner have six children in a blended family. She is unvaccinated and said the waiver she would have had to sign for the shot was a big red flag to her. Kelcy’s partner received two doses of the Moderna vaccine because his grandma was dying. She is still scared for him.

Kelcy revealed that she saw evil and corruption during the pandemic and a lack of transparency and accountability at all levels. Due to no jab, Kelcy was unable to qualify for maternity leave. Her partner got laid off and her work refused to give her shifts which left them one day from eviction.

Medical and health appointments were missed as they were non-emergent and they are now dealing with cavities and things that are adding up which otherwise would have been addressed.

Kelcy homeschooled multiple children because she felt afraid they would get sick. The children were unable to attend activities, causing depression. Kelcy said, “I think they use our hearts against us”.