My Daughter Died From a Vaccine Preventable Disease
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Scarlet Anne Taylor was only 5 when she became sick with the flu and was sent home from school in December 2014. Two days later, Scarlet was admitted to the hospital because she was having trouble breathing. Once admitted, her condition only seemed to worsen. Four hours after bringing her daughter to the hospital, her mother, Rebecca Hendricks, learned that she had died of complications from flu. “My daughter died from a vaccine preventable disease,” Rebecca recounts.
At that time, Rebecca did not realize that children younger than 5 years old who are otherwise healthy are at high risk of serious flu-related complications simply because of their age. In addition, children 2 years old and up to their 5th birthday are more likely than healthy, older children to be taken to a doctor, an urgent care center, or the emergency room because of flu.
Turning tragedy into action
Since her daughter’s death, Rebecca now understand the risks of flu and the benefits of a flu vaccine. She has taken her daughter’s story and used it to educate the people around her, especially families. “Before, I thought everyone got over the flu,” says Rebecca. “I chose not to vaccinate my family simply because I didn’t know the facts. Our family now gets vaccinated against flu every year. We are educated about what flu is, what the symptoms are, and how each one of us plays an important role in our community in stopping the spread of flu.”
Rebecca started Fight the Flu Foundation in 2015, hoping that she could save the lives of others from flu by sharing her story and spreading awareness about the dangers of flu.
Fight the Flu Foundation’s mission is to “fight the flu, and win.” The foundation aims to educate families and communities around the nation about flu, as well as make flu vaccination a yearly practice for those who may not regularly vaccinate their families.
Spreading the word
At first, Rebecca took to Facebook and shared her new foundation’s page with her friends and family. Before long, other families across the United States heard about the foundation’s mission and began reaching out to Rebecca to share similar stories about their family’s own loss from flu. The foundation gained a small following online and served as an avenue for those who have lost a child or loved one to the flu. Educating families about the importance of flu vaccination online and in local communities, the foundation hopes tragic flu stories will speak to others, and help families realize that their young children can also be at risk for flu.
Since it started, Rebecca has taken her foundation’s work into local communities. As her foundation grows, so do her goals. Rebecca wants to ensure that everyone has access to a flu vaccine by providing flu vaccinations to underserved populations. In August 2016, Fight the Flu Foundation hosted its first awareness and fundraising drive in Tacoma, Washington, bringing flu awareness to families in need. It was the foundation’s first successful event, with 25 different community vendors supporting the cause.
Though her foundation is still growing, Rebecca’s most valued achievement thus far is “the letters we receive from people who have been impacted by Fight the Flu Foundation’s stories,” she said. She receives letters from mothers and families regularly thanking her for the work that she’s doing. “It’s receiving those highlights that remind me that I’m doing exactly what I set out to do. Fight the flu.”
National Influenza Vaccination Week
For National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), CDC reminds everything that it is not too late to get a flu vaccine. For those at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications, the flu vaccine is even more important. Rebecca Hendricks’s daughter was a healthy, lively 5-year-old when she caught the flu. CDC recommends everyone 6 months of age and older get a flu vaccine every season. This holiday season, make sure your loved ones get a flu vaccine, and make sure to get one yourself to protect your loved ones who are at high-risk for the flu.
For more information, visit People at High Risk of Developing Flu-Related Complications and Get Vaccinated.
Join the Blog-A-Thon!
During NIVW, CDC is encouraging partners to post blogs on the importance of flu vaccination. Look for other participating blogs throughout this week and share your own post on social media using the hashtags #NIVW. For those want to take part in the Blog-a-thon, an NIVW Badge is available to include with your post to show your participation. Help us spread the word that it is not too late to get a flu vaccine this season.
Check out HealthinAging.org’s Blog-a-thon post today, December, 5 and Verywell.com’s Cold and Flu section for their Blog-A-Thon post tomorrow, December 6. For more information about the Blog-a-thon, contact FluInbox@cdc.gov.
16 comments on “My Daughter Died From a Vaccine Preventable Disease”
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Rebecca,
Thank you for having the courage to share Scarlett’s story and making an impact with your Flu Foundation.
My father tripped and broke his leg carrying out the garbage. At the hospital he came down with pneumonia and died at age 89.
At age 87, I received my flu shot at the VA and just a week ago, I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis and pneumonia in one side. I’m along way toward recovery and very thankful.
Don’t wait!
Love the Blog, sooo.. important to spread the news about vaccinating for all preventable disease.
Thank you!
Rebecca’s story is very significant to illustrate a popular misconception that flu is not a serious disease, i.e., “… everyone got over the flu.” Is Rebecca willing to share about the complications of which her daughter died?
Thank-you, Rebecca, for taking such positive steps to educate families.
Excellent Article
COURAGE!!
THANK YOU EVERYONE!
I am so sorry about Scarlet’s death. You are making something very positive and meaningful come of a very tragic event and may help prevent other families from having to go through what you did. Thank you. You are able to speak from a real experience which makes an impact on other families.
Rebecca. I am so sorry for your loss.
You are making a difference by sharing your story.
As a nurse myself, I thank you for helping to get the word out there.
Peace…
Amazing article! thanks for sharing.
Rebecca,
I am so sorry for your loss. Words can’t describe how difficult this must be for you. It takes a brave individual to turn their negative situation into a positive one. As a nurse, I understand the importance of immunizations and offer them often while at work. I think it is great that you are speaking about your experience to the public in order to educate them. Sometimes it takes a personalized story to influence the public. Keep up the good work!
I am sorry for your loss Rebecca. I am inspired that you started a foundation that focuses on educating the public on the dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Vaccinations are a controversial subject. They have caused a lot of conflict and continue to do so. The rate of breakouts has gone down. This ensures that nothing will breakout widespread and cause a huge sickness. Big breakouts happen still but not as often as they used to. This is a good thing that has came from the introduction of the vaccinations. I feel badly for this kid and she should have lived. Vaccines should become mandatory to make sure a breakout doesn’t happen.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that an estimated 322 million illness, 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths are prevented due to routine childhood vaccinations (CDC, 2014). Many parents believe that vaccines are life-threatening and cause more harm than good. It is unknown how many deaths are caused the flu and or complications because the states are not required to report them. I work in the healthcare field and see many healthcare workers who refuse to take the flu vaccination because they feel it makes them sick. If more education was done on the danger of the flu, I believe that more people would take the flu vaccine. I think that they wouldn’t mind being sick for a couple of days.
Thank you for sharing this! This year’s flu season has been especially bad, so this may literally save lives. I am also sorry about your daughter, I know that must be hard for you.
Best wishes!
This is one lovely read! I appreciate your post. More power to you!