Parents PACK Newsletter Feature Article
In memory of Kaliah – a personal story about whooping cough
By: Chelsey Charles
When I first held Kaliah, my entire life changed in that moment. Kaliah was everything I hoped for, and she was even more perfect than I could have imagined. Gazing at me with her big brown bright eyes as I touched her thick brown hair, I couldn’t put her down — she was absolutely gorgeous.
Shortly after I delivered Kaliah, the doctor noticed I had a slight cough. She asked me how long I had had it, I responded with “about a week.” That night my cough started to get worse; still, nobody seemed too concerned about it. The doctors thought it was probably because I was tired, because I used all my energy in labor. I was asked if I wanted to get vaccinated for whooping cough before I left the hospital and I said yes. Since I hadn’t gotten it in five years, I needed the vaccination for school, but the doctors wanted to wait till after I gave birth. They gave me the shot the next day and sent my perfect little family and me home.
Editor’s Note: The Vaccine Education Center would like to thank Chelsey for sharing her story, to help others understand the devastation that can be caused by infection with pertussis. Learn more about the Tdap vaccine and the diseases it prevents or read other personal stories of families affected by vaccine-preventable diseases.
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- Vaccine Education Center