I have talked about my children. I have told you some funny stories to ease your days. I may have made you giggle, I may have made you laugh really hard (this is my goal!). I want to dive into something I might not have shared with you.
This is Logan (9 years old) and Ashton (11 years old). Aren't they handsome? They are! Don't they look healthy? They AREN'T! These two amazing and smart children have a condition called "Hypoimmunoglobenemia". Basically in layman's terms, they have no immune system. They can't fight off a major sickness, let alone a cold, by themselves. Every three weeks they get a treatment called IVIG. It gives them a TEMPORARY immune system just until its time for their next treatment. The pictures below just give you a small glimpse into what we have faced so far on this journey.
I almost lost Ashton when he was 18 months old. He spent two weeks in the Pediatric ICU (PICU) at Phoenix Children's Hospital in Phoenix, AZ. Doctors told me I was lucky. He had H-Fluenza fluid fill up his entire left lung and heart sack. He had a Periacardiocentesis and a Thoracentesis, meaning they placed catheters into his heart sack and lungs to remove the fluid. He has been on this battle from day one. This is the strongest kid I have ever known. He even wrote about this for a school assignment. I will post that in the comments of this blog for anyone who would love to read it.
This is what my kitchen table looks like every three weeks. Needles, sterile syringes, medications, gauze, IV pole, chloraprep, and many many more items needed to give my children a decent chance of a healthy life. This is not something that they will grow out of. Unless they find a cure they will live forever with this condition. Every three weeks for the rest of their lives this is what they will spend 3-5 hours doing.
Logans battle started when he was just 7 months old. We knew what to expect with him. Unlike Ashton. This doesn't mean he hasn't had his share of hospital stays, surgeries, and numerous infusions and sicknesses. When he was 7 months old, after the surgery to have his port placed, he was in the hospital the next day for possible meningitis.
Here is where I could piss a lot of people off....
When I hear people say they did not vaccinate their children because they do not think it is necessary I want to scream! "But Amber did you not just write about accepting mothers and encouraging them to do what is best for them and their children"? Yes I did. I encourage moms to do what is best for their family. This is not about THEIR families. This is about the world. This is about continuing the human race. This is about a society that works together. We protect the people that cannot protect themselves.
Think about this:
Community (Herd) Immunity: When a critical portion of a community is immunized against a contagious
disease, most members of the community are protected against that
disease because there is little opportunity for an outbreak. Even those
who are not eligible for certain vaccines—such as infants, pregnant
women, or immuno-compromised individuals—get some protection because the
spread of contagious disease is contained. This is known as "community
immunity."
*This content is brought to you by: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)*
When the "herd" stops vaccinating, people who cannot protect themselves are then at risk. Immunocompromised, young, elderly, and the pregnant cannot protect themselves against this.
Some say "My kids can build an immunity by getting the disease and then fighting it off". Oh yes. Let me put them next to a person with Polio. You want them to fight it off themselves right? Oh wait...I don't know anyone with Polio since the VACCINE has wiped it almost into non existence. You are banking that everyone around you is vaccinated so how can your child possibly get this deadly disease? They can get it because other parents, like yourself, have chosen not to get vaccinated and bring these horrible diseases, that have cost thousands of deaths through the centuries.
When people decide not to vaccinate their children this is what they are saying "my child is more important than any other children". Yes my children are my #1, but their is no way I would do something that would have such a huge impact on millions of peoples lives. Yes I used would and not could, simply because it does affect us. All the time.
For example, a few months back there was an outbreak of measles. We were so close to pulling out kids from school if it hit our city. This shows because people chose not to vaccinate not only does it put mine and other peoples children's health at risk, it put their education at risk. They would have to miss school if there was a case of that. According to the CDC an estimated 20 millions people contract Measles a year. It kill about 146,000 people a year. That is 400 deaths every year which is about 17 per hour. Oh that's only about 7% you say? What if all 20 million were immunocompromised like the two handsome boys I mentioned about. I guarantee you that percentage was higher.
Science doesn't lie. Reading the first article that pops up on google about how there is this much mercury in this and autism from that is ridiculous. Think about the big picture. Think about the world. If you child got Polio and was dying, the doctors said "Your child must get this shot to save his life, but the side effects could be ABC" would you do it, if you had a shot at saving your child's life?
Here in Arizona, it is mandatory for your dogs to be vaccinated but not your children. How does that make any sense.
We live in such a rough world where you are going to need your neighbor, friends, family, and others to get through this. How are these people going to want to help you when you neglect their children's basic needs for sustaining a healthy life?
Why Am I Sticky
