both of Robert's parents are disabled and financially unable to bring him home from the hospital."If he had received the regular flu vaccine, the family would be able to file a claim with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program," said attorney Clifford Shoemaker. "But because it was the swine flu program, which falls under the same bill as terrorism the family will get very little in compensation
http://www.ksat.com/video/22758548/index.html CECIL COUNTY, Md. -- A Cecil County teenager is in rehab and is paralyzed from the chest down as a result of getting the H1N1 flu vaccine at his school, according to his parents and doctor.Robert Beckham, 16, is in rehab at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital, where he and his parents, Belinda and Tom, are learning to cope with his new status as a paraplegic.In December, Robert suddenly lost feeling in both his legs and was rushed to Baltimore's Sinai Hospital."Very unfortunately, under very heavy treatment, not only did he not improve, he even got slightly worse," said Sinai pediatric neurologist Dr. Yuval Shafrir. Robert BeckhamShafrir said Robert is being treated for a rare condition called transverse mylitis in which a segment of Robert's spinal cord was destroyed by his own immune system.Transverse mylitis is a disease that can occur after infection, but in this case, Shafrir said it was a medically unpredictable reaction to a vaccination that's being given in schools all over the country."The only obvious cause was the H1N1 vaccination, " Shafrir said."I kept pestering my parents to get me this shot. I got it, and a month later, it went bad," Robert said."I'm still in shock from it. I can't believe that this happened to him," said the teen's mother as she held back tears. "Because it was the swine flu program the family will get very little in compensation for what's happened to this child."- Attorney Clifford Shoemaker "I did not know there was even a small chance of this. I had never heard of this happening," said Robert's stepfather, Thomas Finn.To make matters worse for the family, both of Robert's parents are disabled and financially unable to bring him home from the hospital."If he had received the regular flu vaccine, the family would be able to file a claim with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program," said attorney Clifford Shoemaker. "But because it was the swine flu program, which falls under the same bill as terrorism the family will get very little in compensation for what's happened to this child."There' s a fundraiser this weekend in Cecil County to help them out. It will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Porters Grover Baptist Church at 478 Connelly Road in Rising Sun.The family needs help making their home handicapped- accessible for Robert. All donations can be made at Cecil Bank in care of Robert Beckham.Meanwhile, Maryland Health Department officials are aware of Robert's case."Certainly, there are instances of adverse events -- they're very rare -- and it's something we want to monitor closely," said DHMH Deputy Secretary Fran Phillips.While the boy's paralysis is heartbreaking, Shafrir said it shouldn't deter anyone from getting the vaccination.
