Health

Flu Shot Causes Cheerleader Desiree Jennings to Walk Backwards

by Blaine Metzgar | October 22, 2009 at 02:09 pm

17023 views | 5 Recommendations | 4 comments

Desiree Jennings, a 25 year-old would-be-cheerleader for the Washington Redskins, claims a seasonal flu shot has disabled her to the point that she can only walk backwards and run normally but due to a severe muscle disorder, Dystonia, she cannot walk forward without suffering spasms. Ten days after receiving her seasonal flu shot Jennings says she began shaking and could no longer walk in a straight line.

Jennings went to her local Safeway for the vaccine after her job offered incentives for receiving it but she preceded to get sick, lethargic, and black out until she visited neurologists who diagnosed her with a one-in-a-million reaction the the vaccine, Dystonia.

"I was hoping for Lyme, praying for lupus, even Graves' disease," she said. "Unfortunately they were all ruled out."

Finally, doctors at Johns Hopkins figured it out, diagnosing dystonia, a rare neurological condition with no cure brought on by infections, brain trauma or, as is believed in her case, reaction to medication. It causes body jerks and abnormal or repetitive movements.

Jennings now has trouble with the most basic of tasks: eating, talking, and walking but the cheerleading-hopeful is making the best out of the situation, completing an 8 km run with the help of her friends in under an hour.

Still, she says she is able to feel like her old self again when she runs, which is the only time her muscular disorder does not give her any trouble.

While no other cases of Dystonia have popped up in relation to flu shots, Jennings is adamant that it was the vaccine that caused the debilitating disorder. But celebrity couple Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carey are reaching out to Jennings providing her with doctors and physicians from McCarthy's research organization Generation Rescue.

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Tricia Smylie (not verified)

at 04:15 on November 6th, 2009

You are such a strong person and an inspiration to everyone. Continue fighting and thank you for being brave enough to share your story. I have done a lot of research on vaccines for my children and this is just an affirmation of one of my fears. You are in my prayers and I have high hopes that you will recover from this.

pam curtis (not verified)

at 23:43 on November 6th, 2009

the fda should be shot..theyre poisiong us...and the goverment allows it... go to a website called "the axis of greed" youll learn a lot..

Hagar Simpson (not verified)

at 19:04 on November 12th, 2009

I really appreciate you for sharing your story with the public. You seem to be a very strong young and beautiful woman. Never give up an throw in the tile. Continue to pray to God and if you give your all to him, he will fix it for you. It doesn't matter what reasearchers, doctors, or whoever says. There is nothing that is too hard for God which made us all even heaven and earth. God Loves You. I will be praying for you and i also thank you for sharing your story because im doing a research paper on Dystonia. Take Care!

MedicalExpert (not verified)

at 18:54 on November 19th, 2009

News stories like this do more harm that good. Desiree's condition, although dramatic, was not caused by the flu shot. Many more people will get sick (and possibly die) because they decided not to get the flu vaccine, based on inaccurate or misleading information in the media. There are legitimate things we could be focusing on, instead of perpetuating rumors like this one. Please, everybody get the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines this year! Why aren't people more people concerned about the artificial substances that they eat everyday... there is plenty to be worried about, but flu vaccines are extremely safe.