Sarah was a healthy four-week-old baby in December 2011 when she contracted respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and was hospitalized. Sarah spent six days in the hospital and thankfully survived. Sarah’s family was familiar with RSV because her older sister, Ellie, had also been hospitalized with RSV when she was just one year old.
Sarah’s mother, Mary Lee, shares her family’s story of how RSV impacted their lives.
Julie shares the story of her infant son, Ian, who lost his life to influenza (flu) at just six months old.
Josh loves sports, spending time with his family, and all things Disney World. He never imagined that COVID would impact his life and because he thought his risk was low, he didn’t get vaccinated. Yet in January 2021, the 43-year-old ended up hospitalized in need of a double lung transplant. After being hospitalized for four months, Josh thankfully survived to tell his story and he now wants others to know the importance of vaccination.
Josh shares the story of how he was hospitalized with COVID and ended up having a double lung transplant to save his life.
Teresa was a healthy, artistic 10-year-old who loved to read, sew, draw, sing, and dance. She loved being a Junior Girl Scout and was very outgoing. She wasn’t high risk for COVID and hadn’t been vaccinated because in September 2021 it wasn’t yet approved for her age group. Sadly, Teresa lost her life to COVID in just a few short days. Her mother, Nicole – an elementary school teacher – shares her daughter’s story to inform other parents that vaccination is our best defense against COVID.
Teresa’s mother, Nicole, shares the story of losing her healthy, 10-year-old daughter to COVID on September 27, 2021.
Married for 54 years, Dwight and Brenda loved spending time with their family, especially their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Because they lived in a small town, they didn’t think COVID was a threat to them and decided not to get vaccinated. Sadly, they ended up hospitalized and lost their lives to COVID within one day of each other in August 2021.
Below in his own words, their son, Windell, shares the story of losing both of his parents to COVID-19.