Mom Shares Upsetting Photos After Baby Spends Her First Birthday With the Measles
Instead of watching her baby daughter celebrate her first birthday with cake and presents, British mom Jilly Moss spent the day rushing her to the hospital in an ambulance.
At the hospital, the little girl’s fever spiked to 104. Doctors ran tests to confirm their suspicions—baby Alba had contracted measles, the potentially deadly virus that had almost been eradicated thanks to the powerful MMR vaccine but in recent years has seen a resurgence, due to the anti-vaccination movement.
On the eighth day of her daughter’s hospitalization, Moss took to Facebook to share her story and warn anti-vaxxers of what can happen to other people’s children when they refuse to get their own kids vaccinated.
“It has been absolutely horrific watching our daughter fight this with her eyes swollen shut for 4 days,” Moss wrote on April 14. “She has been in the dark, scared with a high fever that lasted for over two weeks. In hospital she has been scanned, X-rayed poked prodded bloods taken, lumbar punctures done, canulars fitted, swabs taken, ECG Eccos, obs done every 20 mins, tube fed, on a drip, oxygen, pumped full of drugs, anti inflammatory pain relief antibiotics you name it she’s had it.”
Alba’s doctors have encouraged Moss to share images of her toddler’s condition to educate other parents on the importance of vaccination.
“Educate yourselves, talk about it, spread the word SHARE THIS POST,” Moss continued. “Do whatever you need to do because without the care of Chelsea and west Doctors our beautiful baby would not be here today.” Her post has clearly made an impression, as it’s racked up 93,000 likes and 260,000 shares.
Babies under the age of one are generally not vaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella because their immune systems aren’t developed enough for the vaccine to work. Without the MMR vaccine, Alba was susceptible to the virus, which her physicians believe she may have contracted from older and unvaccinated children.
“The MMR does not cause life threatening issues like Measles does. Your babies might feel under the weather for a day or so but believe me you’d accept that over what we have been through,” Moss wrote.
As of April 29, Alba is out of the hospital and doing much better. “Albs is making a good recovery; she is home now and the doctors are happy with her progress,” she tells Health.
Since posting about her daughter, however, Moss has received threats from anti-vaxxers. “All we want to do is raise awareness of how bad measles can be in young vulnerable children,” Moss says. She vows to continue spreading her story, and she also addressed the trolls who have taken to criticizing her post.
“You can think and say what you want but none of it matters. This is our story and I will continue to share it to raise awareness of just how scary this can be. For parents out there and for my brave brave Alba.”
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