Jeff Diamond, a professional musician, vocal instructor and backup guitarist, got the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine last year. About a week later, Diamond was found unconscious in his apartment and taken to a local hospital in Minnesota, where he remained in a coma for three weeks.

Pervasive blood clots, a known side effect of the J&J vaccine, had shut down his kidneys and other organs. The condition caused doctors to amputate eight of his fingers, without his knowledge or consent, while he was still in a coma.

When Diamond awoke from the coma, he also found himself intubated, which impaired his singing voice. Asked if doctors acknowledged a link between the vaccine and his injuries, Diamond said all but one were non-committal.

Now, a year after he was injured, Diamond said he’s taking things day by day, and hopes to someday play guitar again. More importantly, though, he wants to get the word out about what happened to him and for accountability to be held.