#MeaslesVaccinesWork

„My mother stayed by my sister’s side around the clock. I went to school and was sent each day from one sympathetic neighbor to another until my father, who had to work, came to get me. He didn’t talk to me about my sister, or anything for that matter, which made our house feel cold and dark. Marcie was a gifted artist. A piano prodigy, she taught me how to play the easy part of a duet. She taught me black magic coloring and how to make “matzoh ball soup” with water, orange crayon peel, and bathroom tissue balls. She was my first snowman-building partner and, though I couldn’t keep up with her, she was the last person who would have made me feel unimportant. Measles ruined all that.“

„My sister came home around Easter. At first, everything seemed normal. My mother was home. Marcie went back to school. But her behavior and personality had changed. She struggled to learn new concepts in subjects she had previously mastered. She could still read music, but had lost the ability to play with dynamics and expression and made many mistakes. At home, she was irritable and defiant and fought over minutiae, which escalated into shouting matches, door slamming, and a lot of crying. One night, Marcie dared our babysitter to leave or else she would. Not backing down, my sister, clad in pajamas and robe, fled into the freezing night. She didn’t go far. But scenes like that became a pattern. My parents didn’t have a network of support. „

Absolutely. Gripping.

#MeaslesVaccinesWork
#Prevention

🙏 Emmi S. Herman for this #PublicHealthMessaging