She joined the military at 18 years old. Five years later, she is medically retired and living with chronic Guillain-Barre Syndrome.  The autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack healthy nerves developed after she received the HPV vaccine. 

Senior Airman Leanne Smith, U.S. Air Force (Ret) was serving in Wyoming when she received orders to transfer to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. Following military protocol, she had to be updated on her required vaccines prior to departure.  After receiving the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine she developed light-headedness and shortness of breath within minutes.  She was taken to an emergency room and treated for a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.

That hospital visit was only the beginning of a nightmarish transformation that evolved over the following months.  

She nearly died.
She became paralyzed. 
She was misdiagnosed,
experienced delays in treatment,
suffered unbearable pain
and felt hopeless at times.

Her loved ones were instructed by medical professionals to prepare for her death at one point. 

It's a story that, according to Aaron Siri, Managing Partner of Siri & Glimstad, LLP, happens often. Siri has successfully litigated numerous civil rights cases involving informed consent with regard to mandated medical products, including vaccines.  Guillain-Barre Syndrome is an indicated risk factor of many vaccines on the U.S market.

Most recipients don't know the risk factors involved unless they read the package inserts from the manufacturer, as physicians do not always practice informed consent by verbally communicating the risk vs. benefit factor of a medical procedure or drug.  Very often they practice passive consent, assuming the patient agrees to the procedure or drug, with minimal conversation and education.  And in some instances, like the military or mandatory vaccine requirements to attend public schools in West Virginia, there's no choice to opt-out even if a person does know the risks involved. 

For the first time, Smith is sharing her story with the public in conjunction with Guillain-Barre Awareness Month to educate others. She wants people who have suffered with -or currently enduring- this debilitating condition to know they aren't alone, that there is always hope.  Please listen and share her story, linked below: