HAMILTON, Ohio — We first told you about Victor Smith in March when Dawn Smith-Theodore said she was distraught and searching for answers after her 91-year-old father was mistakenly given two doses of the Moderna vaccine about four hours apart.
Now, she’s feeling blessed they’ll soon have much more time together.
The father/daughter duo were reunited after 15 months apart and a lot has happened in that time.
“He just tells everybody ‘I’m Vaccine Vic,'” she said.
Smith-Theodore says her dad went from living independently to needing 24/7 care.
Smith has been staying at Jamestowne Rehabilitation in Hamilton since leaving the hospital, and that’s where the vaccine mix-up happened.
“Things happen,” Smith-Theodore said. “Mistakes happen. It was an unfortunate thing and they have done a lot to change their protocols because nothing like that had ever happened before. That’s what makes me happy because I just want to make sure it wouldn’t happen to anybody again.
“He had his first shot. Then he ended up in the hospital. Then he was in rehab. Then he got COVID. Then he got two shots, all within a month. And so, yeah, to pinpoint it, who knows? I mean I don’t know whether the COVID had an impact on him, the shots had an impact on him, or it’s just his age and his declining health. But at this point I just, it’s not that I don’t care, but it’s not important to me. What’s important to me is spending time with my dad.”
She was in the Cincinnati area all last week visiting her dad and next week Victor will be moving back with her to California where he will stay in a board and care home nearby.
Smith-Theodore says she is fully vaccinated and this experience has not changed her trust in the vaccine or her trust in her father’s care.
Right now, she is just looking forward to quality time with him.
We reached out to Jamestown Rehabilitation, where Victor Smith mistakenly got two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in one day. They acknowledged it did happen and say staff made sure Smith got care immediately. They’re investigating and sent their best wishes to him and his family.
