From her daughter's perspective, the trial was a way to keep up with a close friend who had already signed up for it.

It also didn't hurt that the trial offered monetary compensation of $119 per visit.1 This is what prompted all three of de Garay's children to sign up for the COVID-19 shot trial, which changed the life of de Garay's daughter Maddie. A healthy 12-year-old girl prior to the trial, Maddie loved to dance, play soccer and spend time with her friends.

She suffered a severe systemic adverse reaction to her second dose of the shot and struggled through 11 ER visits and four hospital admissions in the year and a half that followed. Injuries from the shot have left her unable to walk or eat — she receives her nutrition via a feeding tube — and suffering from constant pain, vision problems, tinnitus, allergic reactions and lack of neck control.2

As though the physical trauma weren't enough, Maddie and her family were continually dismissed by the medical professionals put in place to help, ignored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and denied the care needed. Instead, the family was told Maddie's problems were psychological, and she underwent cognitive-behavioral therapy, to no avail, as one might expect.

Broken Trust

In the January 21, 2024, "Full Measure" report above, investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson reviews Maddie's case. Maddie received her second dose January 20, 2021. Within 12 hours, frightful symptoms set in. Electric shocks were shooting up her spine and it felt like her heart was being "ripped out."