[00:00:00]

Dellene Church

Krista, can you hear me?

Krista Hamilton

Yes.

Dellene Church

Our next witness is Krista Hamilton. Krista, can you please state your name and spell your first and last name for the record?

Krista Hamilton

It’s Krista Hamilton: K-R-I-S-T-A H-A-M-I-L-T-O-N.

Dellene Church

Thank you. Krista Hamilton, in your testimony here today, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?

Krista Hamilton

Yes.

Dellene Church

Thank you. Krista, you were forced to take COVID vaccines in order to keep your job. Can you tell us what you did to try and avoid that?

Krista Hamilton

I went to my family doctor for an exemption and he told me I didn’t meet the requirements to be exempted.

Dellene Church

And what was your health condition that you thought would qualify for an exemption?

Krista Hamilton

I have a lot of allergies, so I just was kind of hesitant to take it. So I thought that would be enough, but— And I also have asthma and that wasn’t enough.

Dellene Church

Okay, what did you do then at your employment?

Krista Hamilton

I did end up taking my two vaccines. Sorry.  I did take my two vaccines and I just had to show proof so then I was able to continue working.

Dellene Church

You did hold out as long as you could until you felt you were forced, or you were going to lose your job.

Krista Hamilton

Yeah, I was hoping they would roll out an exception, or that you didn’t have to have one to go back. And they didn’t. I went on my very last day that I could to have my second vaccine. So I waited as long as I could.

Dellene Church

Okay. And how did you react to those vaccines?

Krista Hamilton

The first vaccine, I had zero symptoms. And the second vaccine: on my second day, I started to have chest pain, and I couldn’t inhale all the way. I couldn’t get out of bed without help.

Dellene Church

You were immobile? You couldn’t move all parts of your body, or a portion?

Krista Hamilton

I couldn’t move, like, my torso. So if I was in a standing position I could walk slowly, but I couldn’t move my torso. At all.

Dellene Church

Okay. And at that point did you seek medical care?

Krista Hamilton

Yes. I went directly to the ER. From there I had a bunch of tests, and they thought I could have the beginnings of pleurisy or indigestion. So they told me to go home and rest for five days because all my tests panned out okay.

Dellene Church

Okay.

Krista Hamilton

I think I had vitals, x-ray, and of your basic stuff. And the ER doctor wasn’t really sure, she said.

Dellene Church

They were aware that you had recently had the COVID vaccine, your second?

Krista Hamilton

Yes.

Dellene Church

And they made no link between your symptoms and that vaccine 24 hours before?

Krista Hamilton

No.

Dellene Church

Okay. So you went home for your five days of rest. How was that?

Krista Hamilton

I mean, I was in a lot of pain. I was shallow-breathing for three days, in and out. When I inhaled, it felt like sharp stabbing pain in my chest—upper chest—so it was really hard to inhale. I was fine when I exhaled, but just, each breath hurt. And it took about four to five days to go away.

Dellene Church

And what about your ability to move, did that improve?

Krista Hamilton

It did. For three days, just from standing to sitting, or sitting to standing, or getting in and out of my vehicle was very, very difficult without feeling a lot of pain.

Dellene Church

Okay. And were you developing any other symptoms during that time?

Krista Hamilton

Well, I developed— My voice, as you can hear, I lose my voice a lot, and I have to clear my throat often. And I also have a dry cough with that.

Dellene Church

Okay. And did you have any mental symptoms?

[00:05:00]

How was your energy level?

Krista Hamilton

Well, mentally, I was okay. I just was a little scared of the unknown, like what was happening, because I’ve never had those symptoms before. Also, just the house-cleaning or mowing my lawn—I felt like I couldn’t do a whole lot. I had to stop and take lots of breaks, whereas before, I felt I could do quite a bit, whether it was mowing the lawn or house-cleaning or whatever I was doing.

Dellene Church

Okay. And you’re a mother, and you work full-time, and before this you were doing all of those things without problem.

Krista Hamilton

Yes.

Dellene Church

So after five days, things had improved some. You still had symptoms. What did you do from there?

Krista Hamilton

After five days, I started to feel better. I could move my body. But I was still having sharp, stabbing pains in my upper chest, in my left side. So from there on, I had a second— About four weeks later, I had another attack similar to this one. Went in for a second visit to the ER and they thought I had a blood clot, which, turns out, I didn’t. And they sent me home and told me I had a pulled muscle, to rest for five days.

So I went home, I rested, started to feel better, but then the pain continued after that. Like, just randomly, and 4 minutes to 20 minutes at a time. But nobody could really explain it.

Dellene Church

Okay, and were you able to return to work during this period of time?

Krista Hamilton

Yeah, after about a week I returned to work. And then I did a follow-up call with my doctor. When I went in to see my doctor, he told me the x-ray for my second ER visit showed spots on my lungs on my x-ray. And he sent me to a lung specialist, which showed it led to sarcoidosis. So I was diagnosed with that.

Dellene Church

And can you tell us what sarcoidosis is?

Krista Hamilton

Actually, it’s like an inflammation. I think it, well, it’s spots on your lungs. I have nodules or spots on my lungs, they call it. I have several tiny spots and two larger spots.

Dellene Church

And are you being treated for that condition?

Krista Hamilton

They said eventually I could take prednisone, I believe it’s called. I said no to it at first, but I think they’re just going to keep an eye on me to see if I need it in the future.

Dellene Church

Okay. And still no connection made by medical that this may relate to your COVID vaccine?

Krista Hamilton

No. Nobody said anything. No.

Dellene Church

So also, then you were never provided any information on how to report what you thought had caused this or make any claim for compensation?

Krista Hamilton

No.

Dellene Church

Okay. Do you have anything else you want to add about your diagnosis and your condition, how it is now, and your treatment with the health system?

Krista Hamilton

I just found it really funny that— I did have asthma prior to my vaccines. But I just found it really odd—I was stopped in my tracks, or it wakes me up from my sleep; even a year later I still feel the effects—that no one can really say why. Maybe it points to sarcoidosis, but I don’t know.

The other thing I had was eye inflammation for four months after my second vaccine, which—I don’t know if it’s related. Often, I have shortness of breath, even after taking my regular puffer. But I just can’t explain this sharp stabbing pain and not moving my torso, which is really scary. So nobody can really explain that to me.

Dellene Church

And your pre-existing conditions with the allergies and asthma, have those worsened as well?

Krista Hamilton

I would say, I can’t really tell if the— Because I take a puffer once or twice per day.

[00:10:00]

I would say shortness of breath has worsened, and just the random sharp pain that I feel, and just being tired. So those three mainly.

Dellene Church

Now, you also had a son that had an adverse reaction that required hospitalization. Do you want to talk about that?

Krista Hamilton

Yeah, so my son Liam, who was 21 at the time: he took Moderna. So his second shot of Moderna, he, I guess, was having heart pain and he went into the hospital. He ended up in Halifax—the QE2—for a week because his enzyme levels were really high.

So yeah. They did believe it was the shot and told him not to take any more. They advised him that. There’s not much I know about that because he— Yeah, I don’t really know much, but he was on three months of medication. It was called Colchstream, C-O-L-C-H-S-T-R-E-A-M.

Dellene Church

That was the medication?

Krista Hamilton

Yes. So they prescribed that for three months. And then he went off it. And he had a follow-up and I think that was about it. They kind of released him.

Dellene Church

And what was his diagnosis?

Krista Hamilton

Myocarditis.

Dellene Church

Okay. And they did, in his case, admit that was directly related to the COVID vaccine?

Krista Hamilton

They did. Yes.

Dellene Church

Okay. And was he provided with any information on how to report that, or make a claim for any compensation?

Krista Hamilton

That I’m not sure of.

Dellene Church

Okay. And another unfortunate instant related to COVID you had was your father passing away.

Krista Hamilton

Yes.

Dellene Church

Can you tell us how COVID impacted that?

Krista Hamilton

At the time, the nursing home here in Nova Scotia that he was at— It was December of 2020 and so each patient had two caregivers. I was one and my mom was another. My brother at the time was working in Winnipeg.

They told us my dad had less than a week left before he passes. My brother flew home from Winnipeg and he had required permission to see his father: a letter to get into the nursing home. So he got the letter. I think he arrived, went in, and then after he’d seen my dad and said goodbye, my dad was alive for another six days, and he was not allowed to go back and see him.

Dellene Church

Okay. And it wasn’t like he was easily admitted to say goodbye to your dad. Is that correct?

Krista Hamilton

Yeah. They told him he had to quarantine for 14 days after seeing my father because he flew back as an essential worker.

Dellene Church

And did they also firstly try and prevent him from coming in because he was not one of the two designated caregivers?

Krista Hamilton

Yes.

Dellene Church

And he just ignored that and decided he was going?

Krista Hamilton

Yes.

Dellene Church

So what do you think could’ve been done better in your situation, your son’s, your dad’s?

Krista Hamilton

I think for myself, who— I didn’t want the COVID shot— Even though I have four kids and they’re all vaccinated, all the way to 18. But for me personally, I did not want the shot and I feel like I should’ve had the choice. And continue to work if I didn’t have it, and just wear all the precautionary measures.

For my son, he just wanted the shot. So definitely his choice.

And as for my father, I just think that, if someone is dying and it’s their last days— I think family—all family—should be able to go in. Especially immediate family.

Dellene Church

Right.

Krista Hamilton

I think that was very unfair.

Dellene Church

And with your son that had the reaction,

[00:15:00]

you said it was his choice. Do you know what his choice was based on?

Krista Hamilton

I don’t. I mean, he did his own research. I don’t know where he found his information, but I think that he chose to do it because he was around his grandparents a lot and he didn’t want to make them sick. So I think he was thinking of his grandparents more so than himself.

Dellene Church

And was he working or attending post-secondary schooling that also required that?

Krista Hamilton

No. He was working from home. He lives on his own so— At the time. But he was really afraid, because of what he heard in the news and whatnot, that he would make his grandparents sick. So he chose to get it.

Dellene Church

To protect others.

Krista Hamilton

Right. Yeah.

Dellene Church

Is there anything else you’d like to add before I turn it over for questions from the commissioners?

Krista Hamilton

No.

Dellene Church

Okay.

Commissioner Massie

Well, thank you for your testimony. Can you clarify something for me? You said your four kids are vaccinated. I’m wondering: Were they vaccinated after you’ve learned about your adverse effect or before?

Krista Hamilton

Oh no, I’m sorry. I should clarify. My children are— So I have three over 20 that live on their own. And then I have a daughter who was 15 at the time. She wanted to get her vaccine. Myself and her father told her to wait a few weeks to learn more about it. We provided her with information. She still chose to get her vaccine, but this was all before I had mine. And she chose to get it.

As far as my other three, they went and got it, so there’s nothing that I can do. But they didn’t learn about my symptoms and what happened to me until after they got theirs.

Commissioner Massie

So did they believe that you were actually injured by the vaccine, or are they not sure?

Krista Hamilton

I guess they weren’t sure. Yeah. But I did feel like, within two days of me taking the second vaccine, I felt like it wasn’t an allergic reaction.  Like it was something more.

Commissioner Massie

Thank you.

Dellene Church

On behalf of the National Citizens Inquiry, I’d like to thank you very much for your testimony today, Krista.

Krista Hamilton

Thank you.

[00:18:13]

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

Krista Hamilton was forced to take COVID vaccinations in order to keep her job. She attempted to get an exemption but was told her health condition did not meet the qualifications for exemption. She had no reaction to her first shot, but two days after her second shot, she had chest pains, could not inhale completely, and could not get out of bed unassisted. Krista went to the ER and was tested for a variety of conditions, including pleurisy and indigestion. She advised hospital staff that she had just been vaccinated but they did not make the connection or advise her on how to report an adverse event.

Some of Krista’s initial symptoms abated, but she developed others, including periodically losing her voice and exhaustion. About four weeks later, she had another attack. She was eventually diagnosed with sarcoidosis but again health care practitioners did not make the connection to the COVID vaccinations and she was not given any information on how to report an adverse event.

Krista’s 21-year-old son, who wanted to be vaccinated, suffered an adverse reaction after his second Moderna vaccination, requiring hospitalization. Hospital staff did relate it to the vaccination and advised him not to take any further shots. He was diagnosed with myocarditis and was on medication for three months. All four of Krista’s children were vaccinated before she had suffered her adverse events.

Krista described the difficulties family members had in seeing her father, who passed away during COVID restrictions.

Krista said that for people like herself who did not want to be vaccinated, their wishes should have been respected and they should have been given a reasonable compromise (i.e. testing). She believes that family should not have been prevented from seeing loved ones who were dying in hospital.