A little under 2 years ago, quite by chance, I came across an online support group called UKCVFamily. That summer I joined 3 of their, now, trustees and 2 other members in Parliament.
This was the first time I’d ever met other injured people in person and I was welcomed with open arms, smiles and hugs. Little did I know then that these people would become dear friends of mine.
In fact, I had no idea quite what was going to be achieved over the next few years. Had I been asked, I certainly wouldn’t have been able to list all the things that have been achieved.
But yesterday, something monumental was achieved in front of the nation and the world. Charlet Crichton took to the stand at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry to face questions on the mammoth witness statements she and 5 others formulated for the Inquiry.
Over 400 pages of evidence, testimony and overall bad-assery, was produced over the last 18 months. This alone has been a full time job for Charlet, who did this without question or complaint while juggling her own health issues as a result of the vaccines. How she’ll be able to escape an MBE after yesterday, I don’t know!
When she sat there yesterday, oozing professionalism and composure, she articulately put across the concerns of the members when questioned. She batted down notions that none of us really know whether the vaccines made us sick – this one actually made my own bloody boil, but Charlet corrected this with such calm and composure. The last few months have been especially hard for our trusty leader, but she’s never once let up on the gas.
Yesterday was the culmination of all that hard work and it was an honour to watch her and be able to say, “I know that woman, she’s actually a great friend and inspiration of mine.”
I’m in awe of what this woman has created and achieved. I wasn’t there when she founded UKCVFamily, something that was created because while Charlet was suffering in the early days of her injury she saw a need among others to have a safe space. Putting aside her own suffering, during which she was helping with global support groups for vaccine injured, she created a UK safe haven.
Of course there are others who joined her in these journeys, not least the other Trustees – Caroline, Brian, Claire and Sarah. The ones who have held each other up and kept each other going throughout all this work for the Inquiry, alongside all the other work that has happen to make UKCVFamily a charity, to gain huge support from MPs, to speak to the press, to support the other volunteers who help run the online support groups, to arrange regular meetings online with health practitioners for the members and produce advertisements to help let other injured and bereaved find us. Of course, I can’t not mention the other volunteers, like myself, who each play their own role in keeping the groups runnings, keeping morale up and keeping our members safe.
That’s just a VERY short list of some of the things the team has achieved for this community. What they’ve done since the start of Module 4 I couldn’t even attempt to list.
I’m in an incredibly fortunate position, in that I am surrounded by inspiring people. I’m in a doubly lucky position to be able to say I’m glad I was vaccine injured. You won’t hear many say that because none of us can ever be happy that this happened to us. But, had it not happened to me I wouldn’t have met Charlet. I wouldn’t have met the other trustees and found deep friendships among the other volunteers. I spent a long time not feeling like I belonged and not feeling like I was where I was supposed to be, and then I joined this incredible team and community who each day make me a better person, who inspire me to do the absolute best I can for this community and who hold me up when I am struggling.
But mostly, I will forever be grateful to say “I know those people, they’re great friends of mine and they inspire me.”
Please take a short moment out of your day to watch Charlet and her mic-drop moments from yesterday, even if you’re not injured. In fact, especially if you’re not injured.