We had no idea when we set out for a quick errand that we'd be asked to take a stand for something that is so polarizing among a new group of peers we've just entered in to...parents and our decision to vaccinate or not.
After trying to upload my pictures from Father's Day morning, I realized that my SD card had been damaged somehow, and I was at a loss for how to get those precious pictures off of that card. I did a little research online and found a camera shop in Arlington that does memory card recovery, so as soon as Brad got off work, we loaded up Miss Bryleigh and a half-packed diaper bag and headed for ONE quick stop.
Once we got over to North Arlington, we realized we would be close to one of our favorite places to eat...PANERA, so we decided we'd grab a bite to eat there after we finished up at the camera shop. So one stop turned in to TWO quick stops.
I had on no jewelry (not even my wedding ring), no make up, my hair was still in a pony tail from the day before, and Brad and I matched! Bryleigh's bag had a diaper and wipes, one bottle, no burp cloth, and no change of clothes. I have seriously never left the house since she's been here LESS prepared! And to top it off, she didn't even have on a bow!!
As we were leaving, a lady that was following behind Brad said something along the lines of, "Oh your baby is so cute. How old is she?" She's quite the conversation starter when we are out and about, so this definitely didn't catch me off guard, but the fact that as we kept walking, she kept talking.
She quickly got to the question of, "Well did you guys have her vaccinated for the whooping cough?" After we told her that we did, she introduced herself as a reporter for NBC5. She told us that she was doing a news story for the 10 o'clock news about Pertussis and that she had not been able to find anyone to interview yet.
As she asked if we'd be willing to go on camera and do an interview, a million thoughts ran through my mind..."I have on NO make up," "Brad and I have on the SAME shirt," "What if I look fat," "Bryleigh doesn't even have a bow on," "What will people say that DON'T agree with us," and the list goes on and on...it's amazing how many thoughts I had in those short 5 minutes of talking with her and deciding if we'd do the interview.
But then it hit me...this time last year, at about 8 weeks pregnant, I had NO idea that I needed to even think about vaccinating myself against the whooping cough. I had heard of "Whooping Cough" and "Pertussis", but I honestly thought it was one of those "old time things"...you know, the types of illnesses and diseases that plagued our grandparents' generation but couldn't possibly still be an issue today.
It didn't matter what I looked like, or what I sounded like. I just knew that if one new mom saw our baby and learned something new about protecting her baby, then it would be worth it.
I remember my mom calling me and telling me about a news story she'd seen talking about the rise of cases of Whooping Cough (in 2013) and the main area they were discussing...Tarrant County, right where we lived and would be raising our little girl.
I began doing what any mom would do - scouring the internet, talking with girl friends, and discussing the issue with our doctor and pediatrician. The most impactful part in my decision was when I came across a Facebook page of a little girl who had passed away from contracting Pertussis. The illness had flown under the radar during several different doctor's appointments and the tests for Whooping Cough had never been run...until it was too late. She ended up in the PICU, but she was never able to go home. And with that, my mind was made up. We would get the vaccine.
But going even further than that, Bryleigh wouldn't come out of the womb vaccinated. She wouldn't be able to receive any doses of the vaccine until she was 2 months old, so the only way we would be able to protect her, especially in the county where the number of cases was breaking records and on the rise, was to ensure that any one that came to visit got the vaccine as well.
In those first two months before Bryleigh was able to receive the vaccine, we had to protect her as best as we could. Our friends and family did not have to go out and get the vaccine if it was something they didn't want to do, but we asked that they wait to meet Bryleigh until she was vaccinated.
We believe in vaccinating our children. We know that not everyone does, and that's okay. That's what being a parent is about...deciding what's best for your child.
No comments:
Post a Comment