Vaccinations

The unexplained deaths of healthy babies and the heart wrenching grief of young parents is happening all too frequently.

Nicholas Lee Copenhaver (March 7, 2013 - July 15, 2013).

He passed away less than 3 days after receiving the 4 month vaccines. Neurologist's report clearly states that, in his opinion, vaccines were the likely cause of death. Ruled SIDS.

His mother, who works in healthcare, shares with us,

On Friday morning July 12, 2013 I took my son in for his 4 month well-baby checkup. The doctor gave him 7 vaccines - DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV and Rota. He was cranky of course after, but doctors tell you to give Tylenol and teach you that these reactions are normal.

Saturday, he was still fussy and tired and didn't nurse as much as usual. Saturday night, my sister in law watched him overnight so we could go to work. I picked him up Sunday afternoon, after I woke up. We didn't do much that evening but nap. Looking back it seems that he was extra sleepy but I didn't notice it then.

Sunday night, I dropped him off at a very close friend’s house around 10pm, so that I could go to work. Not knowing that this was the last time I'd see my son alive.

She said he never went to bed without a fight with her but that night she said he fell asleep on his own. He was used to being fed at the breast to fall asleep when he was with me. She said he woke in the middle of the night so she got up with him. She fell asleep in the recliner holding him. When she woke up he was gone.

They started CPR, but of course it was no help.

I vividly remember the scream down the hallway in the middle of the night at work telling me to leave. That something was wrong with my baby. I was a CNA at a nursing home, working overnights, when my coworker yelled down the hall that my son just passed away. That was the absolute worst night of my life.

There were no obvious signs that something was wrong with him. Nothing outside of the "normal" that doctors lead you to believe is ok after your baby receives the vaccines. My son received his shots Friday morning and by late Sunday night- early Monday morning, he was gone.

The coroner did rule his death as SIDS.

I had to do my own homework and I was referred to a vaccine injury lawyer who listened to my story and took on my case.

The neurologist's report we have gotten for our case clearly states that, in his opinion, vaccines were the likely cause of death. We were lucky because often times, vaccines are never mentioned. The neurologist that did our report for the case actually did the autopsy also. Unfortunately, if I hadn't looked into things further on my own, I may have never known his cause of death.

Thank goodness Missouri automatically does a full autopsy on children because when we later went back to file with VAERS, etc., they had exactly everything they needed. We are still waiting for our case to go through with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), which we are told could take a very long time.

The doctor who did the autopsy even stated that he feels vaccine causation exists in our case wrote this in our neuropathology report. We will have to wait to find out if our case is awarded but no amount of money could replace our son. The maximum they give for vaccine related deaths is $250,000. That’s what our children are worth to them. Most claims are denied and those that do get awarded are often settled for less.

My son was vaccinated on schedule. He was given Hep B at birth, 8 vaccines at his 2 month well baby visit (DTaP, IPV, Hib, Heb B, PCV and Rota) and 7 vaccines at his 4 month well baby visit (DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV and Rota). These are the vaccines on the current schedule.

I'd like to tell other parents to heavily do their research, because unfortunately, I didn't. I had no idea. I thought like most that I was doing what I was supposed to by taking my child in to get vaccinated. Especially working in healthcare, they hammer it into us everybody that you HAVE to have your shots. I didn't question it one bit, and now I regret it.

I have heard from so many other people now after the fact that the same thing happened to them. I want people to know that this does happen and that it's a lot more common than they realize.

I can only hope sharing our story will save someone else the heartache and pain of losing a child. I want to tell the world and save them the heartache that we have been through.

Rest In Peace Our Precious Angel...

Amanda Copenhaver