Ashleigh from Liverpool

Ashleigh Cave, Liverpool

Update as of January 2010:

Ashleigh is out of the hospital, attending school on a part time basis, but still has to make use of her wheelchair. She is still not a very well girl.

Ashleigh had her first and only dose of Cervarix at her secondary school on 15 October 2008 and became ill within half an hour with symptoms of intense head pain which made her scream out. In the next few days, she felt light headed and dizzy. She then developed pain in her legs. She collapsed 5 times in the next 48 hours. She went with her family to London to visit friends, but worsened and was admitted into Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey for two days.

Discharge note said: Vertigo and generalised myalgis. Probably due to vaccination. Dr. J. Fisher.

She gradually deteriorated with bad leg pain and could no longer walk.

She was admitted to Alder Hey Hospital on 24 October 2008, where she has remained. She was admitted with pain in her arms and legs, crawling on all fours to the toilet because she was not able to stand or walk. Her pain was severe.

Dr. Curran of Alder Hey Hospital stated that in his opinion, this was not caused by the vaccine.

*Dr. Richard Newton, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, examined Ashleigh on 13 March 2009. (Further information regarding Dr. Newton and his conclusions at the end of Ashleigh’s story.)

Ashleigh’s condition August 2009:

Still in Alder Hey, incontinent and having to consider a catheter. They decided to try a bladder control programme first. Continuing to have recurring urinary tract infections, especially after her bout with e-coli, contracted in the hospital.

She is now managing to stand with the aid of a walking frame and can manage a few steps. Progress is very slow. She is hoping to go back to school in September part time, but will need full time help.

Sadly, the family will have to move, as their current house is unsuitable for Ashleigh in her current condition.

Social services blames her mother. She is not allowed to see Ashleigh’s charts or medical records. Ashleigh is told she is likely to need the wheelchair for years to come.

The hospital, after 10 months, starts to do more thorough testing to find out exactly what is causing her problems.

Cheryl Cave, Ashleigh’s mother, is understandably angry at the way she and her daughter have been treated not only by the system, which she feels has failed them both; but, at Alder Hey Hospital and the NHS as a whole.

Reference to Dr. Newton and his conclusions after seeing Ashleigh on 13 March 2009:

Dr. Newton concluded that Ashleigh had a well documented adverse event to the vaccine.

He said, “By far, the most likely explanation of Ashleigh’s illness is that initially she had an adverse event following vaccination.”

Dr. Newton went on to add, “Rehabilitation usually brings about good results, although the fix is often not quick, particularly when the illness has gone on for five months or more.”

In stark contrast to Dr. Newton’s professional opinion, on 13 December 2008, Dr. Andrew Curran of Alder Hey Hospital said, “I can say with complete certainty that she is demonstrating no pathological reaction to her vaccination.”

The drug safety watchdog. the MHRA, has been notified of the case. It does not believe the cervical jab brought on Ashleigh’s illness.

Freda & Grace’s comments and thoughts: When an eminent Dr. such as Dr. Newton gives his considered opinion that the Cervarix vaccine was responsible for the adverse reaction that Ashleigh was suffering from. then you have to ask some serious questions. Why did Dr. Curran not consider this to be a very strong possibility, considering the fact that this young girl started to become ill within a very short period of time after having had this vaccination? It has to be remembered that Ashleigh also has a history of medical problems which were never considered to be important, even though the nurse at the school was advised of her medical conditions. A point perhaps not known in the UK, is that Dr. Diane Harper, who was involved with GlaxoSmithKline in the Cervarix trials, has made it known that if there is an adverse event within 42 days of being vaccinated, then serious consideration has to be given to the vaccine having caused the illness. There is documented proof of Dr. Harper saying this. Allegedly, it appears that Alder Hey wishes to lay the responsibility for this young girl’s illnesses at the door of her mother. This is very difficult to try and understand. A young girl was paralyzed and is now being affected by loss of bladder control, something that is to be expected when there is no feeling in the lower part of your body. We are concerned that there is no mention of hair and nail tests having been taken, or of homeopathic assessment and treatment options. Or, whether she has been tested for hypersensitibity to aluminium, which would have been a firm contraindication. Scientists at Keele University, Staffs, have published papers showing that silica-rich mineral water provides a natural antidote to the burden of aluminium in the body and this information, plus warnings about the HPV mass vaccination programme has been published online for several months. (also in the NHS library)

There has been no thorough investigation of the way Cheryl Cave and her daughter have been treated by the doctors and staff at Alder Hey Hospital. Either this young girl was paralyzed, or not. Either she has lost bladder control, or not. Either she was admitted to Frimley Park Hospital, or she was not.

Grace Filby, visit Grace’s website, HPV vaccine research and investigations here

Freda Birrell, email at birrell_df@topenworld.com