Personal Stories

Katy, an educator who loves yoga and cooking, got COVID-19 in April 2020 and later developed interstitial lung disease. Now immunocompromised, she stays current on vaccines and pushes for safer classrooms.

Josh, a family man and sports fan, got COVID-19 in January 2021. Unvaccinated and unaware of his risk, he lost lung function and needed ECMO and a double lung transplant. He now urges others to get vaccinated.

Teresa was an artistic, outgoing 10-year-old Girl Scout who loved to sing and dance. She died of COVID-19 in September 2021, five days after symptoms began, weeks before vaccines were available for her age.

Dwight, a Vietnam veteran and railroad welder, and Brenda, a physical therapy assistant, were married 54 years and adored their grandkids. Both unvaccinated, they died of COVID-19 one day apart in August 2021.

Kristin, a healthy 31-year-old nurse practitioner and mom, got COVID-19 in December 2020, just before vaccines reached her area. She spent 68 days on ECMO and 111 days in the hospital. She still lives with lasting complications.

Braden was a kind, funny 15-year-old artist with a passion for filmmaking. He got COVID-19 despite taking precautions, developed MIS-C, and died in January 2021, before vaccines were approved for his age group.

Sarah got both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during her pregnancy in 2021 after talking with her trusted doctor. Her daughter, Lauren, was born healthy and later tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies at 4 months old.

Monica shares the story of her daughter Maria, 41, who loves yoga, hiking, and travel. Maria got COVID-19 in fall 2020, before vaccines were available. She spent 130 days in the hospital, including 69 days on ECMO, and survived.

Maria was a 41-year-old who loved travel, yoga, and bootcamp workouts when she got COVID-19 in 2020, before vaccines existed. She spent 69 days on ECMO and woke months later. She is now fully vaccinated and helps other survivors.

Laith was a sweet, cuddly 19-month-old when RSV landed him in the hospital at Christmastime 2019. He spent five days on oxygen and fully recovered. His mom, an epidemiologist, wishes today's RSV prevention tools had existed then.

Hunter was an easygoing, chatty 6-month-old when RSV led to pneumonia in October 2022. He needed over a month of treatment and months of follow-up to recover. His parents had no way to prevent RSV back then.

Kerry caught RSV as a newborn in 1988. It caused a heart arrhythmia, and she spent three weeks in the NICU as doctors prepared her parents for the worst. She survived and loves gardening, fishing, and hiking, but lives with reduced lung function.

Sarah was just 4 weeks old in December 2011 when RSV left her struggling to breathe and her lips turning blue. She spent six days in the hospital on oxygen. Now the family comedian, she plays soccer, tennis, and viola.

Mary was a skilled cook who hosted Sunday dinners for her family. She died of cervical cancer in her 60s, before routine Pap tests could catch it early. Her granddaughter, a nurse practitioner, now champions lifelong vaccination.

Tamika was a 25-year-old TV producer in Washington, D.C., when she was diagnosed with HPV-related cervical cancer. Treatment cost her the chance to carry a child. She co-founded Cervivor and urges HPV vaccination at ages 11–12.

Jason, a husband and dad of three, found a lump on his neck in 2014 and learned he had stage 4 HPV-related tonsil cancer. After surgery, chemo, and radiation, he started SupermanHPV to urge timely HPV vaccination.

Heather was misdiagnosed at 26, and by the time her HPV-related cervical cancer was found, it was too late to treat. She spent her final days checking off her bucket list and urging HPV vaccination before she died at 31.

Suzanne was a bookworm who loved school when she caught measles at age 6, before a vaccine existed. Her fever nearly put her in the hospital, and she missed weeks of school. She believes measles left her with lasting immune problems.

Maggie, about 4, was being treated for leukemia and could not get more vaccines. In January 2015, another patient at her clinic exposed her to measles, and she spent three weeks in isolation. Kids like her rely on others being vaccinated.

Joshua was 30 when he caught measles at his sister's college graduation in 2016. His parents had chosen not to vaccinate him as a child. He was hospitalized in isolation, lost 25 pounds, and took months to fully recover.

Grace was 2 when what seemed like flu turned out to be Hib meningitis and septic shock in 2018. She spent eight days in a coma. Doctors then found she was born without a spleen. Today she's in school, and her family stays current on vaccines.

Kaya was 18 months old when she got meningococcal B meningitis in 2015. MenB vaccine was not part of her routine vaccines. She survived but lost much of her hearing. Today she's a creative, empathetic girl who loves roller skating.

Francesca was a 17-year-old swimmer headed to college when bacterial meningitis left her in a coma with a 20% chance of survival. She was months from getting the vaccine. She lives with hearing and vision loss and advocates for vaccination.

Evan was a 20-year-old honor student and college baseball pitcher. In 1998, he died of meningococcal meningitis after losing all four limbs. No one had told his parents about the meningitis vaccine. They later co-founded the NMA.

Emily was 19 and in college when she died of meningococcal B disease in 2013, about 30 hours after her headache began. She had both MenACWY doses, but no MenB vaccine was available in the U.S. yet. Her organs helped save many lives.

Kimberly was a healthy 17-year-old high school senior when she died of MenB disease in 2012. She had her MenACWY vaccine, but it does not cover MenB, and a MenB vaccine wasn't available in the U.S. until 2014. Her mother now educates families.

Ryan was 18, when on Father's Day 1998, he developed a fever and earache. Within hours, meningococcal disease overwhelmed his body, and he died the next morning. His mother founded Meningitis Angels.

Samantha was a healthy 9-month-old when meningococcal disease made her critically ill within a day. She lost parts of her foot and fingers and has had over 25 facial surgeries. Now an artist and mom of two, she urges parents to vaccinate.

Dylan was an athletic 10-year-old soccer and basketball player when he got whooping cough in 2019, despite his childhood vaccines. He coughed for about a year and missed much of school. He's headed to college to study biology.

Elijah was a happy, smiley baby too young for the vaccine when he caught whooping cough. He had up to 15 coughing spells an hour and stopped breathing. He survived two weeks in the NICU. His mom hadn't had Tdap during pregnancy.

Callie was a happy 5-week-old who loved having her feet rubbed. Her parents' "miracle baby" after four miscarriages, she died of whooping cough within a week of her first cough. Her mom had Tdap during pregnancy.

Carter was a happy, red-haired baby born in December 2009. At 6 weeks old, he got whooping cough and spent nine days in the hospital, including time on ECMO. He died at 7 weeks old. His mother shares his story to protect other newborns.

Brie was born in January 2003 and was a week away from her first whooping cough vaccine when the disease struck. Misdiagnosed at first, she died at 52 days old. No vaccine was then given in pregnancy to protect newborns. Tdap now fills that gap.

Brady was a "little bruiser" with a flirty smile, born in a Bruins-loving family in November 2011. He died of whooping cough at 69 days old after nearly two weeks in the ICU. His mom now urges adults, especially pregnant women, to get Tdap.

Claire Noelle caught whooping cough at 5 weeks old, too young for her first vaccine. She had coughing fits lasting up to an hour and often turned blue, but she fully recovered. Her mom, a pediatrician, now urges Tdap during every pregnancy.

Ally, a mom of three who loves live music, got hepatitis B at birth, a few years before the hep B birth dose became routine. Her vaccinated younger sister was protected. Ally now lives with a virus that has no cure. She urges prevention.

Vivian, a devoted blood donor, learned she had hepatitis B at 19 after a college blood drive. She cleared the infection but can never donate again. Now a public health physician, she says the hep B vaccine is safe and effective.

Chelle had stomach problems as a child that no one could explain. At 18, she tried to donate blood at a military blood drive and learned she had hepatitis B. Watch her video to hear her story in her own words.

In 1995, Sura and her brother were medical students in Syria. Her brother was stuck by a needle and infected with hepatitis B. He developed fulminant hepatitis, and his liver failed. He died just weeks later.

William was excited about his first child's birth and was planning for his family's future when a health insurance blood test showed he had hepatitis B. He spent sleepless nights wondering how he got it and whether it was a death sentence.

Joe was diagnosed with hepatitis B, but his doctor never explained what it meant, so he didn't get regular monitoring. Years later, he learned his liver was inflamed and that he also had hepatitis Delta, a serious coinfection.

Several of Alan's close family members died of liver cancer. No one connected those deaths to hepatitis B until Alan became ill himself. Watch his video to hear his story in his own words.

Alice grew up in a Chinese family where illness wasn't discussed. She didn't learn she had hepatitis B until she became pregnant with her first child. Watch her video to hear her story in her own words.

Carol had a mild case of polio at age 2 in 1954 that went unrecognized for years. Decades later, she developed post-polio syndrome, with leg weakness and pain. She co-founded the PA Polio Survivors Network and urges vaccination.

Mildred got polio at age 3 in 1923, leaving her right side weaker for life. When the vaccine arrived in 1955, she vaccinated her daughters right away. Smart and feisty, she lived to 98 and spoke out for vaccines.

Jan was 6 in 1953 when polio swept through her class and paralyzed her. Her twin brother died of polio. Jan recovered, joined the 1954 Salk vaccine trial, and later wrote a memoir. Her message: "Please get vaccinated!"

John got polio at 10 months old in 1953, just before the Salk vaccine was tested. Paralyzed from the neck down, he learned to walk again and played high school sports. Around 40, post-polio syndrome set in. He now advocates for vaccines.

Deborah was 5 when polio left her right side permanently paralyzed. She spent months in a hospital 100 miles from home. During quarantine, her parents could only wave from the parking lot. She now advocates for polio survivors.

John was an active 12-year-old who loved biking, baseball, and climbing trees when polio left him with a limp. After grueling rehab, he went home in braces and a wheelchair. He used crutches for 65 years and has post-polio syndrome.

Nancy was 6 in 1950 when polio brought a high fever and stiff neck. She was taken alone by ambulance and spent weeks in isolation, treated with hot packs on her legs. She survived but later developed post-polio syndrome.

Vera was 22 and traveling through Europe in 1950 when she woke up paralyzed from the waist down in Rome. Diagnosed with polio, she spent a month isolated abroad. She walked on her own within a year but later developed post-polio syndrome.

Holly got polio at age 4 in 1942, years before a vaccine existed. She now wears braces to walk and will soon need a wheelchair. She doesn't want any child to suffer as she has and strongly urges parents to vaccinate against polio.

Richard got polio at 13, the summer before eighth grade. He had a tracheotomy with only local anesthesia, spent months in an iron lung, and endured years of therapy. Now using a wheelchair, he shares his story in his memoir, "Not Just Polio."

Judith was 6 in 1949 when polio paralyzed her from the neck down. After months in a hospital, including time in an iron lung, she went home in a leg brace. She remains disabled and now speaks out for vaccines despite hostility from opponents.

Nate's mom didn't know she wasn't immune to chickenpox when she was exposed while pregnant with Nate. Although Nate was born healthy, he quickly developed a severe case of chickenpox that took his life at just 24 days old.

Leticia, a community health worker, got shingles in May 2025 and was first misdiagnosed with constipation. By the time it was caught, she had an intestinal infection. She calls it the worst pain of her life and urges eligible adults to vaccinate.

Amy, an avid skier, got shingles at 50 in late 2019 after a stressful year, before she could get her vaccine. She had stabbing nerve pain, fever, and months of recovery. Now vaccinated, she urges people in their 50s to get the shingles vaccine.

Leslie was a healthy 21-year-old student teacher when she caught chickenpox from her fourth graders in 1992. Within days, blisters covered her from scalp to knees and even her throat. Now a teacher and mom, she says, "Get vaccinated!"

Rory was 1 year old when he got a terrible case of chickenpox in November 2019. His mother, Kerri, became a vocal vaccine advocate and urges parents to ask lawmakers to strengthen school vaccine requirements. Listen to her story.

Teri is a nurse with over 40 years of experience and a proud grandmother. She volunteered at COVID-19 vaccine clinics and helped found Grandparents for Vaccines. Tenacious and action-oriented, she listens to families without judgment.

Colleen's son was diagnosed at age 4 with an immune disorder. Though vaccinated on schedule, he wasn't protected against measles or pertussis. She credits community immunity with saving his life and now advocates for vaccines.

Liam was a sweet 8-year-old who loved dirt biking, fishing, and basketball, and dreamed of starting a landscaping company. Though fully vaccinated, he caught Hib in April 2025, likely from an unvaccinated carrier, and died of meningitis.

Henry was 7 when he was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer. Chemotherapy erased most protection from his childhood vaccines, so he restarted the series and is now caught up. He loves Lego and Star Wars and calls vaccines a superpower.

Ethan grew up unvaccinated because his parents opposed vaccines. After researching the science himself, he got vaccinated at age 18. In 2019, he testified before the U.S. Senate on preventable disease. He's now up to date and an advocate for vaccines.