As revealed in a recent inquest, Roy Butler, a seemingly fit and healthy man from O’Reilly Road, Cork Road, Waterford, suffered a lethal brain haemorrhage, merely five days after he received the Janssen (a Johnson & Johnson product) Covid-19 vaccine. The incident happened on August 12th, 2021, and Roy was planning for a holiday abroad with his friends.
Mr. Butler’s family, grieving his sudden death, conveyed to the Cork City Coroner’s Court their desire to uncover the accurate circumstances of the tragic event that claimed the life of the 23-year-old talented footballer.
Subsequent to the vaccine administration, Roy fell sick and continued to feel unwell for four days. On August 16th, 2021, his condition severely deteriorated, leading to his admission at the University Hospital Waterford (UHW). Owing to the seriousness of his situation, he was urgently transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH), where he passed away the next day.
Dr. Gerald Wyse, an intervention neuroradiologist, examined the CT scan of Roy’s brain following his admission to CUH. He noted that there were no signs of head or skull trauma that could have caused the haematoma and the subsequent intracranial bleed.
He further explained that the dimension of the haematoma was extraordinarily large, measuring over 8cm in length and 4cm in depth. The haematoma was lethal as it ruptured, causing Roy’s intracranial spaces to flood.
Bringing attention to the rarity of the case, Dr. Wyse stated that instances of such bleeds were more common among elderly people and were unusual in a young patient like Roy. He could recall only two similar cases of unidentifiable causes for such massive bleeds from his 20 years of practice.
Wael Mohammed, a neurosurgeon, stated that they chose not to proceed with surgery on Mr Butler at CUH due to his severe brain haemorrhage. Medical tests confirmed brainstem death, induced by a severe haemorrhage.
Representing the Butler family, barrister Ciara Davin shared a communication from Johnson & Johnson that indicated 59 individuals experienced intracranial haemorrhages after getting the company’s vaccine. Out of the 616 million doses disseminated globally during the pandemic, this was elucidated by John Lucey, acting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson.
Roy Butler’s mother, Angela, provided further details about her son’s condition. She narrated that after completing his night shift at the Bausch & Lomb factory, he returned home, cleaned the family vehicle and then went to the gym. She noted that he did not look well when he returned home quickly afterwards.
She recalled he was pale and mentioned the possibility of collapsing due to his racing heart. Following a brief rest period, Roy summoned her to his room via text; upon arrival she found him unresponsive and sick.
Angela Butler noted that Roy had been in good health prior to receiving the vaccine. His deteriorating health, characterized by continuous sickness, even with his eyes closed, and convulsions, prompted them to dial emergency services. He was transported to UHW and subsequently moved to CUH.
The family was contacted by a neurosurgeon en route to CUH. He gave them the distressing news that Roy only had a 2% chance of surviving. The prognosis worsened to 1% a short 20 minutes later.
Martin Butler, Roy’s father, recounted how the following day, August 17th, the surgeon admitted that all efforts to save Roy were in vain. The family expressed their concerns about the timing of Roy’s vaccination, just four days prior, and urged for the truth to be brought to light.
Martin Butler conveyed that in conversation with his son Aaron, they decided to discontinue the life support apparatus. “We proceeded to bid our farewells, the device was deactivated and within five minutes, Roy ceased to live,” he expressed. The inquiry is still in progress.