In an emotional and revealing interview, Army National Guard Specialist Karolina Stansick shared her harrowing journey after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. "I am 24 years old. I have had three heart attacks, a mini-stroke, and I am now getting a pacemaker," said Stansick. She attributes these health issues directly to the COVID-19 vaccine. "That's when everything flipped upside down for me," she explained.
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Catherine Herridge reports that government records confirm Stansick's serious heart condition. The records suggest her case may open the door for other service members who believe they were harmed by the Department of Defense's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. "This Army memo acknowledges that your debilitating heart condition can be caused by either COVID-19 infection or the COVID-19 vaccine," Herridge noted.
Stansick, who takes 27 pills daily after suffering her first heart attack while on active duty, had no prior heart issues before joining the military. "I could run ten miles at a time and play basketball. Now I have trouble just standing up," she said. Herridge confirmed that Stansick has never tested positive for COVID-19, reinforcing her belief that the vaccine is to blame.
Herridge's investigation highlights the arduous process Stansick faced within the military bureaucracy to obtain acknowledgment of her condition. "It was a 19-month grueling process," Stansick revealed. She believes the Defense Department is fully responsible for the neglect she faced. "I was neglected, and the medical care I needed was not happening, causing more damage by delaying the response."
Stansick's story begins in Lithuania, where she and her brother were adopted by Lisa Stansick in 2003. Inspired by her grandfather, a World War II veteran, she enlisted in the Army National Guard while in college. In early 2021, she received her first COVID-19 vaccine shot. "I received Moderna one and two," she recalled. "After the second shot, the reaction was intense, with severe neuropathic pain, chest pain, and breathing issues."
Herridge confirmed that military records independently reviewed by her team identified Stansick's heart condition as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). This condition means her heart and blood pressure don't work in sync, causing unpredictable daily health challenges. "I will wake up with my heart rate hitting the 180s or 190s," Stansick shared.
Stansick's struggle to get an accurate diagnosis and timely medical help has been well-documented on social media. "In April 2022, she was released from active duty, losing her health insurance and about $3,300 in monthly income," Herridge reported. Jeremy Sorensen, an advocate for service members, criticized the military's treatment of Stansick. "It's absolutely abhorrent to me that we would treat any young service member this way," Sorensen said.
Sorensen argued that Stansick's case is representative of hundreds, possibly thousands, of other vaccine injury cases. "The Department of Defense has abandoned injured service members with vaccine injuries because they are very political," he stated.
Stansick, now facing more than $70,000 in medical debt, described her experiences of homelessness and ongoing health crises. In September 2023, she blacked out and fell down the stairs during a severe flare-up. "I was ready for this to just be done," she said, admitting to considering suicide due to her struggles.
Finally, in October 2023, the Army Human Resources Command concluded that Stansick's heart injury was "in line of duty by the preponderance of evidence." Herridge noted that this memo confirms a link between COVID-19 infection and POTS, with a lesser degree link to the COVID-19 vaccine. "I jumped to the part where it talks about the vaccine and said, 'That's me. I'm vaccine injured,'" Stansick said.
Herridge concluded by highlighting the broader implications of Stansick's case for other service members who believe they are COVID vaccine injured. "I hope this will provide them the help and care they need," Stansick said. Sorensen echoed her sentiments, expressing deep disappointment in the Defense Department's failure to support injured service members. "It hurts me deeply because it takes away my faith in our own Defense Department, our own government," Sorensen lamented.
As Stansick prepares for major heart surgery, her story serves as a stark reminder of the sacred military pledge to leave no one behind. "I was left behind and trampled," she stated, underscoring the serious nature of her charges against the Army and National Guard.
