Unpacking claim Nevada woman Tonja Marie Johnson’s death was caused by COVID-19 vaccine

In late October 2025, posts circulating across social media (archived here, here and here) claimed Tonja Marie Johnson, a 57-year-old woman from Nevada, spent two years in the hospital and later died following complications allegedly caused by the COVID-19 vaccine. 

According to the posts, the state of Nevada, where Johnson worked, required her to receive the vaccine, after which she developed an unknown illness that left her paralyzed from the waist down. The posts also claimed Johnson suffered blood clots in her legs and lungs, had her stomach and spleen removed, and saw her weight drop to just 70 pounds.

Johnson’s son allegedly said her hospital stay racked up $7.5 million in medical bills, most of which insurance covered, but the remaining balance left her family bankrupt, according to the posts. 

(@toobaffled on X)

Multiple Snopes readers searched our website to verify the claims about Johnson’s alleged illness and death.

The claims appeared to stem from a GoFundMe campaign (archived) created Aug. 3, 2023 — more than two years before users widely shared the claim in October 2025. The campaign outlined a similar story to the one shared in social media posts. 

One of the photos used in the posts came from the fundraising campaign. Another appeared on an online tribute wall for 57-year-old Tonja Marie Johnson on the Affordable Cremation & Burial Service website, as well as in a Facebook post (archived) shared on Sept. 3, 2023, from an account bearing her name.

In that same post, a person identifying himself as Tonja’s husband, Michael Johnson, announced her death:

Because Snopes does not have access to Johnson’s medical records, including documentation of her vaccination status and hospitalization, we were unable to independently confirm key details of the story. We reached out to Michael Johnson via GoFundMe for more information but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

According to Tonja Johnson’s Facebook page, she worked as an administrative assistant with Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services. However, we were unable to definitively confirm this through searches of public records. We also asked Michael Johnson if he could provide documentation confirming her employment.

Because Snopes was unable to verify pertinent information, we left this claim unrated and will update our story if new details emerge.

What the GoFundMe campaign says

The GoFundMe campaign’s description begins, “Hi my name is Tonja Johnson and this is my journey, My son will explain in more detail.”

According to the writer, Johnson was battling “an unknown illness” for two years after the state of Nevada required her to get the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine allegedly affected her equilibrium, causing falls and, eventually, rapid weight loss, the writer claimed. Johnson reportedly weighed 70 pounds at one point.

The writer also claimed Johnson had blood clots in her legs and lungs, and underwent the removal of her stomach and spleen, as the social media posts alleged. Johnson reportedly had four surgeries and had to be revived using electrical paddles each time.

According to the writer, Johnson was “in and out of the hospital and paralyzed from the waist down due to her illness.” Johnson’s hospital bills reportedly totaled more than $7.5 million, most of which insurance covered, but the remaining balance led to “family bankruptcy,” as the social media posts claimed.

Michael Johnson, who organized the fundraising campaign, announced on Aug. 31, 2023, that Johnson had died, calling her “the love of my life” and “an amazing woman, wife and mother.” He asked people to donate any amount they could to the funeral expenses and said Johnson “truly appreciated all of the donations that everyone made.”

Snopes contacted GoFundMe to confirm whether the platform verified the fundraising campaign and will update this story if we receive a response.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine pulled

As of May 2023, the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which Johnson reportedly received, was no longer available in the U.S. Existing doses had expired, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told health care providers to dispose of any that were unused.

In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration limited the vaccine’s emergency use authorization to people 18 and older for whom other vaccines weren’t appropriate or accessible, and to those who opted for Johnson & Johnson because they wouldn’t get vaccinated otherwise.

At the time, the FDA cited concerns about an uncommon but dangerous clotting condition called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, which was associated with the vaccine in rare cases. According to a Healthline article, symptoms could include:

• Hazy vision or other vision changes

• Easy bruising or bleeding

• Tiny blood spots under the skin (petechiae)

Blood clots related to the syndrome could lead to complications such as a pulmonary embolism, heart attack or stroke, Healthline reported.

Despite these risks, medical experts said at the time that the condition was extremely rare and the risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19 remained much higher.

Sources:

“Donate to Blessed to Be Alive, Organized by MICHAEL JOHNSON.” Gofundme.com, www.gofundme.com/f/3ta8uc-blessed-to-be-alive. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

“Tonja Marie Johnson Obituary – Visitation & Funeral Information.” Tonja Marie Johnson Obituary, Affordable Cremation & Burial Service, www.affordablecbs.com/obituaries/tonja-johnson-3/#. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

McPhillips, Deidre. “J&J Covid-19 Vaccine No Longer Available in the US.” CNN, 15 May 2023, www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/health/johnson-johnson-covid-vaccine-end. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Dillinger, Katherine. “FDA Puts Strict Limits on Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine.” CNN, 6 May 2022, www.cnn.com/2022/05/05/health/fda-johnson-johnson-vaccine-eua/index.html. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Askinazi, Olga. “What Is Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a Rare Condition Caused by Some COVID-19 Vaccines?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 30 May 2023, www.healthline.com/health/vaccinations/thrombosis-with-thrombocytopenia-syndrome#complications. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.