A former taekwondo champion who had his leg amputated weeks after receiving the covid vaccination has vowed to battle back.
Dave Mears was crowned world champion in 1984 and went on to build a successful teaching career before moving to Thailand.
During his 21 years abroad, Dave qualified as a professional photographer and ran a series of successful bars before Covid-19 caused his business to come crashing down.
He was forced to return to England in April last year and was beginning to rebuild his life in his hometown of Stamford when he fell ill.
Dave’s flu-like symptoms started within hours of having the AstaZeneca vaccination against Covid-19 on March 4. His symptoms got progressively worse over the following month.
His foot started to swell and he was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for treatment on April 10. His left leg was later amputated below the knee.
Medics haven’t confirmed the cause of the infection, but Dave fears it was linked to the vaccine.
He said: “It started with a horrendous fever. I was admitted to hospital on the 10th and on the 12th my foot just exploded. There was blood everywhere.
“At first they said I might lose a couple of toes, but then it was half my leg.
“The doctors say it’s hard to prove that it’s linked to the covid jab and that the infection could have been there for some time, but it’s strange that I became ill for weeks on the night of the vaccine.
“I think it has got to be linked. It has put me off having the second one.”
Dave, 58, remains at Addenbrooke’s Hospital but hopes to be transferred to Peterborough City Hospital to continue his recovery.
Read full story here: Source: Stamford man vows to battle back after losing his leg weeks after receiving AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination