Waterford soccer player died five days after Covid-19 vaccine from catastrophic brain bleed

Roy Butler (23) died five days after receiving the one-shot Janssen-Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine in 2021.

A Cork Coroner's Court inquest heard he was reluctant to get the jab but only did so because he needed to be vaccinated to accompany a group of friends travelling on holidays to Dubai.

In a series of text and social media messages sent to seven different family members and friends in the four days after he received the vaccine, Mr Butler said he didn't feel well and was suffering from headaches, grogginess, sweating as well as jaw and neck soreness.

In one message, sent 48 hours before his death, he reassured a friend: "I am not dying...I am just not well."

The inquest was told evidence will be submitted that 59 other people suffered intercranial bleeds within 10 days of receiving the same vaccine.

Coroner Philip Comyn has set aside three days for the inquest into the death of Mr Butler on August 17, 2021.

Mr Butler, of O'Reilly Road, Cork Road, Waterford, received the one-shot vaccine in Mulligan's Pharmacy in Waterford on August 12, 2021.

His parents, Martin and Angela Butler, and his brother, Aaron, gave distressing evidence about the last five days of his life.

"Roy was a perfectly healthy young man before the vaccine," said Ms Butler. "I just want the truth about Roy to be known. He was my baby boy."

She said her son had gone to the gym on the afternoon of August 16 but returned home a short time later complaining of feeling unwell and fearing that he might collapse.

The previous day he had not attended football training because he felt unwell.

"He came back [from the gym] 20 minutes later. He was very pale," she said.

Roy's eyes were closed even though he was getting sick

She applied a cold cloth to her son's forehead and he went for a lie-down in his bedroom after eating some food.

However, he called his mother to say he was unwell.

"Roy was getting sick. I called him but I got no response," she said after going up to her son's bedroom.

She alerted her husband and he was shocked by the condition of his son.

"Roy's eyes were closed even though he was getting sick," Martin Butler said.

They called for an ambulance and tried to comfort the 23-year-old.

Roy Butler's older brother, Aaron, was also alerted.

Paramedics Brian Jackman and Alan Coughlan arrived at 5.24pm and immediately called for a second ambulance.

Mr Jackman said Roy Butler was showing signs of having a stroke, later having convulsions and seizures.

Martin Butler was trying to comfort his son.

"I kept talking to him. He was getting sick and then he started getting convulsions," Mr Butler said.

The father of two broke down as he told the inquest of the family's desperate attempts to assist his son.

"He was just jerking from the convulsions," he said.

"I held his hand. I kept talking to him. He was totally unresponsive when the second ambulance arrived."

Roy Butler was given intravenous medication at the scene to ease his convulsions before he was taken to University Hospital Waterford (UHW).

His condition deteriorated at UHW and the decision was made that, given his age, health and general fitness, he would be transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for specialist neurological care.

He said that Roy had only a 2pc chance of survival

Martin Butler said he was told at UHW that doctors had never experienced anything like it before.

"We got a garda escort to Cork," he said.

"On the way, a neurosurgeon rang us. He said that Roy had only a 2pc chance of survival. I asked him to do his best for Roy. Twenty minutes later, things had gotten worse. There was now only a 1pc chance."

When the family arrived at CUH they were informed that doctors had decided against surgery on Roy Butler because of his deteriorating condition.

The following day (August 17, 2021), the family were informed that nothing more could be done for Mr Butler and the decision was made to turn off his life-support machine.

"We went in to say goodbye to Roy. The machine was switched off and five minutes later Roy had passed," his father said.

Martin Butler recalled that, at the time of receiving the vaccine, his son had "a worried look on his face."

His mother insisted that before August 12 her son was "a perfectly healthy young man.

"He was perfect, he got the injection and then he wasn't (perfect)," she said.

Roy's brother, Aaron, revealed his sibling had contact with seven people in the four days after he had received the vaccine and outlined how he felt unwell.

"I just want the truth about what happened," he told the inquest.

He said that his brother was very fit, adding that he was a kind and loving person.

Roy Butler was a soccer fanatic and took great care of his health and fitness.

Aaron Butler said his brother's messages revealed his reluctance to get the vaccine – and how he felt unwell immediately afterwards.

A message from Roy Butler to one friend said: "I don't want it (the jab) but I am going to Dubai and I need it to go there."

On August 12, after receiving the vaccine, he messaged another friend: "I feel f***ed. I have to go back to work."

Another friend received a message stating: "Good bro – got my jab yesterday. Bit shook at the moment."

Mr Butler was against taking tablets and would not take Paracetamol to ease his symptoms.

"I don't take any bro - hopefully I will be grand. I don't like taking tablets," he messaged another friend, indicating he also did not want to ring in sick to work

"I'm old school like that," he added.

He was due to be off work for four days from August 16.

He felt even more unwell over the weekend that followed and told one friend: "I'm f***ed after the vaccine. I'm just not well."

He indicated to friends that he was suffering from grogginess, headaches, sweats as well as a sore jaw and neck.

Just 48 hours before his death, Roy messaged one friend that: "I'm not dying - I'm just not well. The vaccine has me shook."

He added: "I'm not great - headaches, sweating and groggy."

Martin Butler said his son was a natural leader and became captain of every football team he ever played for.

Roy Butler had asthma as a youth but it was fully managed by his inhaler medication.

He received the vaccine at 10.40am on August 12, 2021 and was pronounced dead in CUH on August 17, 2021.

A report from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) was also submitted to the coroner which said there had been no previous report of a cerebral haemorrhage linked to a Covid-19 vaccine.

Neuro-radiologist Dr Gerard Wyse said a CT scan at CUH revealed Mr Butler had a large cerebral haematoma which measured 8.1cm.

The prognosis given the clinical findings were grim

Dr Wyse said Mr Butler had a catastrophic inter-cranial bleed.

The effect of this was devastating and malignant, causing the inter-cranial pressure to increase, severely damaging the brain.

"This is very unusual," the doctor said. "The patient is much, much younger [than the norm] but it does happen. In 20 years I can remember two patients of this age where we never found the cause."

Wail Mohammed, a neurosurgeon, said Mr Butler arrived at CUH at 11.15pm having left UHW at 9.35pm. His clinical signs were very poor.

"The prognosis given the clinical findings were grim," he said.

"He had a catastrophic brain haemorrhage. Unfortunately, the clinical tests showed the equivalent of brain stem death. This was a massive bleed."

No surgery was carried out and Mr Butler died on August 17 after his life support machine was turned off.

Mr Mohammed agreed that complaints such as a headache, grogginess and neck-head soreness can be symptoms of a developing haemorrhage.

The inquest will hear evidence from the vaccine manufacturers, Janssen-Johnson & Johnson, on Wednesday and evidence from assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster on Thursday.

Mr Butler was a lifelong soccer fan and his dream was to play for his beloved Waterford FC.

He lived across the road from Waterford's home ground and he was a season ticket holder.

He worked at Bausch & Lomb in Waterford and was captain of local team Villa FC.

The Butler family are represented at the inquest by Ciara Davin BL while Janssen-Johnson & Johnson are represented by John Lucey SC.

The inquest continues.