Another Thanksgiving Without Ryan.
As we gather around the table with family, though amazing and joyful there is that never ending pain and miss that lurks beneath the surface. The pain that is in my heart, often hidden. That pain that wants to yell, Why isn't my Ryan here? Why is he not here with his cousins, a wife, a child or two? Why am I not called grandma like my sisters?

Then it all comes flooding back to me like a never ending river of pain. That vision of my only child dying on a steal table, stripped necked by a deadly vaccine preventable disease of all dignity, health and life.  The frustration of knowing it should not have happened. That Ryan could have been vaccinated.

So I fight back the tears, pass the cranberry sauce,yet another time and prepare for another battle in this continued fight to stop this deadly disease. Miss you baby boy, Mom

 A Gift For Baby Shawn

A member of my family after 5 miscarriages and at the age of 36 finally gave birth to a healthy baby boy.   As we prepared for the coming of the first baby in our family in 10 years with an elaborate baby shower for the mom to be. I found myself a little melancholy as it brought back memories of my own precious baby who would eventually die to a vaccine preventable form of meningitis. 

My baby, my only child, my son would have been 31 in September. My tears were mixed with joy and heartbreak.   We have read all the news about how many infants have died as a result of pertussis of late. We decided the best gift we all could give this precious little one was to make sure we are all vaccinated. So all of our family from the youngest to the oldest have made sure we are up to date on, or taken the vaccine to protect against deadly pertussis.   As we ate all that good Texas food, delighted ourselves on a selection of homemade cakes and celebrated the arrival of the most precious gift life has to offer, We made sure everyone who attended the shower was educated on the need to prevent pertussis from infants to adults.  Now not only does this new baby in our family have everything he needs for his comfort and to look most handsome he also has the beginning of good health and being protected from deadly disease.   

 I still stand amazed and some what frustrated, after 12 years of fighting to prevent meningitis that we still are seeing deaths and debilitations from this preventable disease. However we took a huge step forward in October when ACIP voted to add a new meningococcal booster at age 16 or 5 years after the first. The current recommendation is now for meningococcal vaccine at age 11 and a booster at age 16.  

We are also excited that there is a recommendation to vaccinate teens against pertussis. Those most teens may become really sick with pertussis (whooping cough) it is those infants at home who are not old enough for the vaccines and are dying from this disease.   Kudos ACIP.