Can we help this family in crisis?

This post will shock most of you. I am vehemently opposed to anyone who undertakes anti-vaccination activism. I’m sure you are, too. I’m putting that to one side for a moment.

The Hammond family is in crisis. They need help. I have just helped. Me and my family live below the poverty line. I know what it’s like. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. The Hammonds have five kids. Ben Hammond is incapacitated.

Can you spare $10? Can you spare $20. Can you spare $50?

The Hammonds have a gofundme account here. The Kalgoorlie Lions Club has donated. It is legitimate.

This is the daily reality for the Hammond family as posted in a closed Facebook group, just over an hour ago:

At a later date I may or may not be addressing the parts of Tanya Hammond’s campaign with which I fundamentally disagree, and with parts of which I am understandably aggrieved.

But, now is not the time for that. Now is the time to read that screenshot, as I did, and have a very deep think about what we can do, right now.

Thanks,

Pete

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Update March 3 2016

Ben Hammond has just made this important update to his gofundme page. I’ll include the images he posted:

Hi guys! Just wanted to share a few things with all of you awesome people that have helped us so far ; ) Tanya flew to sydney to gather more awareness of our “no fault” scheme and visited parliament house to discuss our situation. Unfortunately the first submission from the greens was rejected by the sennates a few days ago, so we need a few more supporters to keep on there case!
It has also been said that we believe that the vaccination caused my condition. Now I’m not qualified to comment on that, but I can show you some paperwork from the people that are! (Hopefully I managed to attach it! Lol) I obviously have a ton more private information for the specialists I have to work with, that I don’t feel obliged to share with the public or random skeptics that don’t agree.. Thanks a million to all that have donated, given kind words or kept us in your prayers, it truly is amazing 🙂
Kind regards

Ben Hammond

This is the original 2012 adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) report:

And this is the 2013 report from immunologist, Dr Andrew McClean-Tooke. The opinion of Dr McClean-Tooke is that Ben Hammond’s ADEM was caused by the vaccination he received:

It is important to have access to this type of evidence so as to allow a conversation around real versus imagined vaccine adverse reactions.

This only reinforces my opinion – which appears to be a universal belief amongst all of my friends – that we need a no-fault serious vaccine adverse reaction compensation scheme.

Such a scheme can only promote trust in public immunisation, with the knowledge that – should anyone suffer an extraordinarily rare, serious adverse reaction – we, as a wealthy, ethical society, have got their back.

All of this is part of the reason I published this post, yesterday – even without having any knowledge of today’s published documents – calling for financial help for the Hammond family, regardless of questions we have surrounding their unfortunate exploitation by the anti-vaccination movement.

Anti-vaccination activists are rightly personas non grata in any decent, caring society. The anti-vaccination movement is poison. Understandably, involvement with them comes at a cost. I genuinely hope things can turn around for the Hammonds.