Krystal from New Zealand

Krystal Kahura, New Zealand

Story as told by her mother Chrissy Kahura

I made my daughter sit down and watch Close Up and the segment on Gardasil with me last week.  I wanted her to watch the programme because she went ahead and without my consent, received two HPV vaccinations during the latter part of 2009.  I was unaware at the time that these injections had been given as I was not informed due to her being 16 years of age.  It was really just to teach her that at 16 you need to make informed decisions.  However, I had no idea that it was myself who was going to get some answers.

Krystal was a vibrant, energetic, sporty, positive young woman at 16.  I remember her saying to me one afternoon after I picked her up from school about 12 months ago.  “Thank you Mum for having me”.  She has played rep Netball for the past 6 years as well as her Saturday team and includes herself in Basketball, Touch, Swimming and generally anything that is being played.

Health wise everything deteriorated rapidly for her mid November 2009 although she had been suffering from mild forms for several weeks prior they weren’t anything like we were about to experience.  These ailments now ranged from extremely severe migraines, muscle aches and pains, cold sweats, temperatures, nausea, lack of appetite, extreme fatigue and extreme moods.  She also could not think clearly and did some bizarre things which were totally out of character for her.  She did complain once of tingling in her hands.  Her lack of attendance at school had me at the point where I didn’t ring the school anymore to inform them.  She also did not sit her two exams either in December.

She became very hostile and totally unreasonable to deal with.  I even mentioned to friends and family that I would gladly have a houseful of teenagers any day than deal with what I have in the house at the moment.  If she wasn’t sleeping off an aggressive migraine, she was sleeping because she was so exhausted.  I honestly thought she was going through a “teenage itis” period, only this was an extreme one.  Prior to her becoming unwell Krystal did suffer from migraines but they were manageable, these other ones were not.  I use the word extreme as everything she suffered from completely knocked her flat.  Several times I checked in on her when she was sleeping just to make sure she was still alive.  She wouldn’t even do simple jobs around the house.  Around Christmas 2009 Krystal asked if she could find some Happy Pills and I agreed to this as she was showing all the signs of severe depression and I was at a loss to help her.  She would tell me on several occasions she couldn’t eat and hadn’t for two days.  Krystal was given Citalopram hydrobromide Ta 20mg by her doctor on the 8 Jan 2010.  She was taking 3 a day for approximately 2 weeks then stopped as she couldn’t tolerate them anymore.  I tried to explain to her to only take one but was ignored.  I tried to get her to see someone to talk about whatever was bothering her but she refused. Krystal also had a Rep Netball Camp mid January to attend but could not go to this as by this time there were little signs she was slowly recovering but still too unwell to participate.

Now after watching Close Up, it all fits.  The injections given all match up with her health decline and her refusal to speak to someone because there was “nothing” wrong.  By nothing I mean a situation causing her to become depressed, only a reaction to the vaccination triggering a downward spiral of her health.  As we had no idea that this was the case, we assumed there were situations in Krystal’s life that she was unable to control or as the doctor puts it “unresolved issues” but looking back, I do believe the medical profession do not want to make the connection between HPV and serious health problems, it is far easier to put it down to unresolved issues that is causing depression in an otherwise fit and healthy young lady.

The vaccination may be a trigger in distorting thoughts as well.

It scares me to think what may have happened had we not seen this programme and I thank Rhonda and Stevie for speaking up and making us aware.  Krystal was due for her third injection and I have now made the Nurse put an alert on the computer and under no circumstances is she to receive this.  Krystal may have been another statistic.  I believe they have saved her life and my heart and prayers go out to Rhonda.