Families furious after MPP Randy Hillier falsely claims their loved ones died from COVID-19 vaccine
Posted October 21, 2021 8:37 am.
Last Updated October 21, 2021 5:26 pm.
Families who have recently lost loved ones say they’re being further traumatized by Ontario MPP Randy Hillier, who is using their deaths to falsely claim multiple people died from the COVID-19 vaccine.
Earlier this week, under the headline “vaccine related injury and death” Hillier posted a montage, including the photos, names and additional information of 11 individuals who’ve recent passed away on his own verified social media pages.
CityNews has learned that the families and friends of at least three of the deceased have spoken up on social media and elsewhere, asking Hillier to remove their loved ones photos because they didn’t die from the vaccine. Many of those who’ve spoken have had their comments and requests removed from Hillier’s social media pages, and have then been blocked from posting further comments on the controversial politician’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages.
Farisa Navab, 20, is among those whose photo has been posted by the provincial politician. Her family is adamant that doctors have confirmed the University of Guelph student died following complications from a blood disorder known in short as TTP.
Speaking to CityNews, Navab’s 19-year-old sister, Ammarah Navab, says she’s speaking out because “my family and I want my sister to be remembered for who she was, not what Hillier wants her to be. It’s wrong to use people’s deaths to push your own agenda. It’s hurtful to families and it shouldn’t happen.”
“If you come up the laneway you’re going to be sorry,” that was the greeting we received at MPP Randy Hillier’s rural property today. For days we’ve been messaging him after he posted the names & photos of people he claims died from the COVID-19 vaccine. Story tonight @CityNewsTO pic.twitter.com/VLB7uu5YvV
— Adrian Ghobrial (@AdrianGhobrial) October 21, 2021
When asked if her sister’s death has ever been linked to the COVID-19 vaccine by any of Navab’s doctors, her sister Ammarah sighs and is visibly frustrated. “Not at all. In no way shape or form.”
Natalie Preddie was shocked when she saw the photo of her close friend who’d just passed away posted by Hillier. The family of the deceased gave Preddie their blessing for her to speak with CityNews, but requested that we not share the name of photo of the loving mother and wife who passed away from what an autopsy revealed was a pre-existing heart condition.
Speaking to CityNews Preddie believes her friends “have been re-victimized, people are grieving, these are recent deaths. We’re talking in the last few months and these people are not done grieving. To bring these deaths to the forefront in a false way, is despicable. It’s really, really hurting the family.”
Hillier has since taken down the photo of Preddie’s friend, but he’s kept her age, cause of death and the fact she was a young mother up on his social media post.
“He’s still using her story to put out anti-vaccine rhetoric and it’s not okay, it needs to come down,” adds Preddie.
Hillier was previously kicked out of Ontario’s Conservative caucus, after the party claimed he mocked a group of parents of children with autism at Queen’s Park. He’s also spoken out against vaccine mandates and public health measures for months.
In his post where he claims each person in the photos are the victims of “vaccine related injury and death” Hillier proclaims “these stories must be spread far and wide to prevent more like them.”
In a signed statement backing up his post, Hillier in part writes, “it is my responsibility to bring to people’s attention publicly available data that strongly suggests these pharmaceuticals are causing irreparable injury, and even death, in children and adults across Ontario.”
There are dozens of people commenting on Hillier’s posts thanking him for speaking the “truth.” But Preddie says “these people are getting false information, and making (potentially) life-changing decisions based on that false information and its very, very frustrating. Someone in elected office should be held to a higher standard and be held responsible for putting out this type of misinformation.”
Like many others, Ammarah Navab has reached out to Hillier about his false claim that her sister died due to the COVID-19 vaccine. She says Hillier didn’t respond. Instead her message was erased and she was blocked her from making anymore comments. When asked what she would like to say to Hillier if given the chance, the 19-year-old takes a long pause, before delivering this message: “How do you go to sleep at night and how do you call yourself a human when you can’t even show any compassion? … You have to be the lowest person to post these photos and make these claims.”
CityNews reached out to Hillier requesting an interview. He did not respond to our request.