In early February 2022, just after her third COVID-19 booster shot, 36-year-old Mount Albert resident Kayla Pollock ‘lost her legs’ and fell to the ground.
Kayla could not feel her legs or lower body and wondered what the heck was going on. Within half an hour all was normal, but she thought she should see someone. Appointments are hard to come by though and the next ‘spell’ lasted 45 minutes. She decided she needed to see a neurologist and made an appointment with her doctor to get a referral. She never got to see either because on February 22 she woke up paralyzed from the neck down and had difficulty breathing.
After a long week in Emergency and an MRI, Kayla was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis caused by lesions on her spine. The doctors told her the illness was a rare and life-altering side effect of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Before February 22, Kayla worked part time at Robert Munch Public School in Mount Albert as a teaching assistant. A single mom to seven year old Mason, she also worked with exotic animals and trained dogs. Her passion was training service dogs and educating people about them through public speaking to groups and on TV and radio. She loved gardening and has an extensive exotic plant collection. She had a busy and active life.
The service dog will be provided by Julie Speyer from Canine Foundations. Julie has over 20 years of Canine Rehabilitation experience, specializing in treating extreme Fear, Aggression and Phobia related behaviour issues. Among her many accomplishments, Julie is also a Court Recognized Expert Witness in the area of Dog Bite and Canine Behaviour Assessments. With a background as a Veterinarian Assistant, former Animal Cruelty Investigator and Animal Control Officer, Julie works closely with many Municipal Animal Shelters and organizations, such as the Municipal Law Enforcement Officers’ Association, in developing Officer Safety Training and Animal Handling programs.
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