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submitted 2 years ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

A mother whose child died aged six from a brain inflammation caused by measles hopes sharing her story will encourage parents to "vaccinate more".

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned of measles outbreaks in parts of London.

Gemma Larkman-Jones wants more parents to consider having their children vaccinated sooner.

...

Prof Dame Jenny Harries, UKHSA chief executive, warned that measles is spreading among unvaccinated communities, and added that a "national call to action" is needed across the country.

Vaccination rates across the UK have been dropping, but there are particular concerns in parts of the capital as well as in some areas of the West Midlands.

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[-] Wanderer@lemm.ee 73 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Sometimes I think about how years ago parents would lie over their children's beds crying. Praying for a miracle because that is all that can save their child now is the work of God. They have see this before, heard the stories. Seen the other children die just recently. They know the pain, they know what is coming. They have done all they can. They sent for the doctor who said he won't be coming back as he has other patients to attend to, ones that might live. Yes they do what they can but it is all for nothing. They bury their child and go back home.

They sit there unable to cry anymore, the silence is broken from a cough in the younger child's room. They then pray to God that this is just a cold. God doesn't listen, God doesn't bring miracles. But man does. One day the work of God comes in the hands of the many and changes the suffering forever.

Sometimes I wonder what those people would say to us. I bet they would hate us for not taking something they would give their lives for.

[-] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 47 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

deleted by creator

[-] Saltblue@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

You would be surprised to know that some people today unironically believe that the germ theory is a hoax, and yes it's the demographic you are suspecting.

[-] SparrowRanjitScaur@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

People back in the day were scared of inoculation/vaccination as well. See the following comic about a cow pox inoculation turning people into cows: https://www.themorgan.org/sites/default/files/images/blog/gillray_277009v_0001.jpg

It's not just a modern phenomena.

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[-] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 36 points 2 years ago

I don't think it will change a lot of peoples minds. For most people, truth is social and they look to their in-group more than raw facts. Group membership is really important to the brain, and it reacts to threats to group membership similarly to how it reacts to a physical threat.

Related to the above, frankly a lot of people are too cowardly and fragile to admit fault. You've probably seen low stakes versions of this in real life. You're arguing with someone about what year a movie came out. You say it was 1990, they say 1989. You look it up and find it was in fact released March, 1990. Instead of them saying "Shit, you got me," they'll pull some bullshit like "Oh but march is still basically the previous year so i'm still basically right". Cowards. It doesn't matter much when it's about trivia, but when it's about shit like vaccines people die.

[-] magnetosphere@kbin.social 25 points 2 years ago

"Samuel didn't need to die and that's the guilt I carry every day with me," she said.

It was the anti-vaxxers fault, not hers. I hope one day she’s able to accept that.

[-] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 years ago

She was an anti-vaxxer. She made choices that led to her son's death.

[-] magnetosphere@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago

The article doesn’t make that clear, so I don’t want to accuse her unfairly.

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[-] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 2 years ago

"I honestly think that if people knew that this was a possibility they would vaccinate more,"

There isn't a doctor on Earth who doesn't tell mothers not to vaccinate their children. Look at this woman's face. You know she shared every single anti-vax post since 2020.

[-] JoBo@feddit.uk 24 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

She has to live with that every day of her life and is now doing what she can to save others that trauma, despite knowing that there will be dickheads who just want to pile on anyway. Have some humanity.

"Samuel didn't need to die and that's the guilt I carry every day with me," she said.

[-] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago

That's fair, she seemingly learned her lesson at the cost of her son's life, so people shouldn't pile on. But she is not getting an ounce of sympathy from me.

[-] DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe 3 points 2 years ago

Nah, fuck that kid killing idiot.

[-] thecrotch@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 years ago

Look at this woman's face. You know she shared every single anti-vax post since 2020.

You got all that from her physical appearance, huh? I actually agree with your stance on vaccines, but fuck you anyway and fuck the people who upvoted this

[-] Maalus@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Yay bodyshaming, huh?

[-] banazir@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 years ago

Remember when humanity solved this issue and children didn't have to die? Those were good times.

[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 7 points 2 years ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


A mother whose child died aged six from a brain inflammation caused by measles hopes sharing her story will encourage parents to "vaccinate more".

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned of measles outbreaks in parts of London.

Her son, Samuel, developed a rare form of brain inflammation after catching measles, and died in 2019.

"I honestly think that if people knew that this was a possibility they would vaccinate more," Ms Larkman-Jones, 45, of Brixton, south London, told the PA Media news agency.

Prof Dame Jenny Harries, UKHSA chief executive, warned that measles is spreading among unvaccinated communities, and added that a "national call to action" is needed across the country.

In February 2019 Samuel was transferred to St Thomas' Hospital where a lumbar puncture and an MRI test found he had the neurological disorder subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).


The original article contains 393 words, the summary contains 143 words. Saved 64%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

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this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2024
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