Vaccine Injury Testimonial
Vaccine Injury of Steven Geer
What was your life like before you received the COVID-19 vaccine?
I was a healthy mid-40s I.T. guy at an outdoor company—camping, traveling, craft beers, time with family and friends. Now I’m tethered to a dialysis chair in Avon three days a week.
Describe the symptoms and the timeline of the reaction.
Pre-2021: Healthy mid-40s IT guy at Big Agnes outdoor company. Hiking Emerald Mountain, camping 50 nights/year with partner Tyler, craft beers, family/friends. No health issues.
Early 2021: Received Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (first dose). Mild side effects, but no immediate red flags.
Mid-2021 (May): Got sick—symptoms started with anemia, fatigue, and respiratory issues after second Moderna dose. Doctors initially puzzled.
Late 2021 (December): Worsened rapidly after October Moderna booster. Kidneys seized (end-stage failure); lungs affected by autoimmune attack. Flight for Life emergency airlift to Poudre Valley Hospital, Fort Collins. Hospitalized 15 days; diagnosed with Goodpasture syndrome (anti-GBM disease)—rare autoimmune disorder where body attacks kidneys/lungs. Started dialysis.
2022–Early 2024: Managed on dialysis; joined national kidney transplant waitlist (25-month wait). Drove 170 miles round-trip 3x/week to Avon dialysis center—no local options in Steamboat mountains.
March 2024: Received deceased-donor kidney transplant at UCHealth Aurora. Surgery successful, but kidney never activated ("sleepy kidney"—primary non-function). Kept in body; no rejection, just didn't work. Back on dialysis full-time.
April 2024–Present: Still on waitlist, searching for living donor. Dialysis grind continues; hoping for match to reclaim my life.
Describe the solutions that helped your symptoms
Helpful Solutions – Steven Geer
UCHealth Transplant Center’s Living Donor Champion program is coaching me to find a match; a living kidney lasts 15–20 years vs. the “sleepy” deceased-donor kidney that never worked. One living donor can end my dialysis
Which solutions were not helpful?
Waiting passively on the national list (average 3–5 years in Colorado) and the failed “sleepy” deceased-donor kidney that never functioned kept me tethered to dialysis. What’s unhelpful is silence—please don’t just pray
What would you like others to know?
I’m worth saving. One living kidney lets me finish the story I started in these beautiful mountains. I'm not asking for pity.
I'm offering someone the chance to save a life—and live like a legend for it.
