Sharing and Caring
Last night I talked to a mom who lost her 8 year old son to bacterial meningitis five years ago. She was crying, still so devastated, so frustrated that a vaccine wasn’t recommended for her son, even though a vaccine was licensed by the FDA that would have protected her son. She asked what she could do protect other families.
She believes, as I believe, that if there is a safe vaccine that can save even one life, then parents need to have access to it. You just don’t know when your family will be the unlucky one, who will be hit by this horrible disease. It is so easy to go through life with blinders on, as I did, thinking that once my son was in college, he was on his way. I worried about car accidents, cancer, but never about infectious diseases. After all, my son had all of the recommended vaccines at the time. Once you have gone through what my family has, you see life so differently. You see all of the potential hazards. You want to be over-protective with your remaining children. And, most of all, you don’t want what happened to you, to happen to other families.
My heart breaks when I talk to moms like the one I talked to last night, because I have no words to take away their pain. I don’t have words to take away my pain. All I can do is listen and encourage then to try to make a difference by sharing their stories and encouraging vaccination to as many people as they can.
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Don’t know if this the right place but I wanted to know where or whom can a parent call to ask questions regarding bacterial meningitis? Like if your child had meningitis as as a baby? What issues will the child have in the future. My great grandsons contracted bacteria meningitis at 6 weeks old. He is now 17 months and on 2 seizure meds! I know his parents and myself want to hear from other parents that have experience this. Would appreciate any info. Thanks,