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03 February 2025

Advocates in Action: Jessica Moon

Trigger warning: Brief discussion of assisted suicide.

It is time to highlight another Advocate in Action! This month I had the pleasure of speaking with Jessica Moon. I caught up with her as she was heading off to a React19 fundraiser in Spokane, Washington. Jessica is formerly the Director of Strategy at React19.

So, just what is a healthy alternative when you are frustrated with your governor and their COVID policies? Jessica asked herself this very question. She needed to redirect her anger at the way her governor handled the pandemic. As we know, different states had different ideas on how to handle COVID-19. Some states kept schools and businesses open, while other states, like Jessica’s home state of Washington, completely shut down. Not to mention implementing mask and vaccine mandates.

Jessica’s answer was joining React19. She was inspired by Brianne Dressen’s interview on American Thinkers, and could relate to those with vaccine injury. Jessica lives with Mass Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and is fully aware of the challenges of chronic illness. Her goal was simple, “If I could just help one person see that there is a way to deal with chronic illness and still have hope.” Jessica’s initial idea was to work on the advocacy team.

Joel Wallskog, co-chairman of React19, had another idea in mind. Since Jessica has an extensive business background, he felt she was better utilized to work with React19, the organization, and bring her business expertise to the table. She immediately went to work.

Jessica’s main goal was to keep people engaged, and to keep the 45 to 50 volunteers of React19 connected with the organization on a consistent basis. It was important to utilize what people’s talents were and how they could better fit into the organization. For example, Jessica helped align and organize the Board of Directors into two boards. This led to a more effective decision making process and higher accountability.

I asked Jessica what services are most utilized on React19. First, is the React19Care Fund which provides financial grants to the vaccine injured. This grant exists since at the moment there is no reasonable federal compensation for the vaccine injured. Second, is the advocacy team. This team works with the vaccine injured and their families directly offering hope and counsel, and connecting them with medical providers that may be able to help with their injuries. Jessica says it best,

“If we never see vaccine injury compensation reform on the federal level [or] if the injured never receive compensation for their injuries, we will have provided them with an opportunity to basically rebuild themselves and to come out on the other side a whole person.

Advocacy is extremely important because the compensation piece could take 10 years. The emotional support and the relationships are going to change people’s lives. So if we do end up getting them compensation,

well, that is just the cherry on the cake, but at the end of the day they will at least feel whole again.”

I also asked Jessica how React19 stays relevant. After all, we are 4 years out from COVID. While React19 still offers advocacy and the CAREfund, their newest focus is working with established clinics to treat vaccine injury and long term covid. Jessica explains,

“We have done a ton of research on treatment protocols and collected a ton of data on what types of treatments work best for the injured. So we are supplying existing clinics with treatment protocols. And we should not underestimate our work in DC. Vaccine injury is relevant as long as people are suffering, and we must continue to fight for them.”

I wondered if there were still vaccine injured people coming for help. Jessica informed me that yes, people are still coming in, although thankfully, the numbers have decreased. Unfortunately, these people still face gaslighting by both the medical community along with family and friends. And on a sadder note, politics are also involved. Jessica notes,

“The majority of people that are injured [who] contact React are predominantly left leaning. Vaccine injury is not political, but it kind of is because that is just the nature of the beast, right? They are listening to the news media and they are persuaded by the government. So what happens now is not only are they dealing with a chronic injury and medical condition, but they are dealing with trauma and ideological breakdown. And it is more than just trauma. Chronic medical conditions cause trauma anyway. Now they are faced with this idea that they have been lied to and manipulated, and they are injured because of it. That is why advocacy is so important because it’s not just their health that they have lost, emotionally they have been destroyed.”

Lastly, I asked how people can help. First and foremost, is to donate to the React19 CAREfund. As Jessica states, “the injured need our help in many ways and we cannot underestimate the impact of our financial contribution to their healing journey.” The next would be to volunteer for one of the advocacy teams. Jessica also brought up an additional service React19 offers, prayer groups. Unfortunately, sometimes the vaccine injured are shunned by their families because they DID get vaccinated. These prayers groups can provide support and people to talk to. As Jessica says, “It is just getting connected with someone that can pray with them, that is so important.”

Sadly, assisted suicide is also a growing concern at React19. This is why there is such a concerted effort on the advocacy team and prayer team to provide that much needed emotional support for the injured and their families. Furthermore, it is also incumbent on all of us, the public and the medical community, to truly recognize vaccine injury, make attempts to treat it, and validate the person who has it. Their life may depend on it.

Thank you so much, Jessica, for all you do for React19. Your brilliant business ideas and support have helped make React19 what it is today. I know I speak for everyone when I say we are all grateful you joined us! And folks, please keep an eye on the newsletter for future fundraisers, and opportunities for you to help make a difference in someone’s life with React19!

Amy Collen

Amy Collen

At the moment I am working on my book Coronavirus Chronicles (working title), raising my two wonderful teenage boys, traveling, baking, immersing myself in Judaism, and writing for React19, a grassroots vaccine-injured advocacy group. In the past I also wrote for the musical group New Monkees, and on special education and disability issues.

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