Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Because we fight for kids who can't fight for themselves


There are mothers in other countries who do not cry when their children die. This is because they expected it.

That may be hard to imagine, but it's true, and one of the more chilling facts I heard during the days I was in Washington, D.C. last week as part of a Global Issues Fellowship and a delegate for Shot@Life. It's a campaign to educate and connect Americans to champion vaccines to save the lives of children in developing nations. Many of you contributed when I was part of their Blogust initiative in August; for every comment made, a child received a vaccine. Thanks to you, the campaign gathered more than 36,000 vaccinations. You saved thousands of children's lives.

Every year, 1.5 million children die from vaccine-preventable diseases including pneumonia, diarrhea and whooping cough. That's one child dead every 20 seconds. One in seven children in Sub-Saharan Africa dies before his fifth birthday. Countless more end up disabled.

As parents of kids with special needs, our heads and hearts can be strained to the max. And yet: 

We know what it's like to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. 

Children in developing countries may seem a world away to some, but we know that children who seem so different than others really aren't.  

We know that every child deserves a shot at good health. A shot at life, no matter where they live.

These thoughts spun arpimd my head throughout my time in D.C. We heard from top experts on global health issues, including maternal care. I found out that the United Nations Foundation Population Fund offers Clean Delivery Kits to pregnant mothers in disaster areas, which can mean the difference between life or death for them and their babies. It contains a bar of soap, a clear plastic sheet to lie on, a razor blade for cutting the umbilical cord and a sterilized tie, a cloth and latex gloves. Such a simple lifesaving measure, like vaccines.

We saw snippets from The Revolutionary Optimists, a documentary about child activists in the slums of Kolkata, India. They went door to door, rallying locals to get their kids vaccinated for polio. Polio is now officially eradicated from India. We talked about people in this country opposed to vaccines—and how mothers in the world's poorest countries do not have the luxury of choice. If their children do not get vaccinated, they could die.  

For the first time, I got to advocate on Capitol Hill. I went with Devi Thomas, Director of Shot@Life, and two other women, and we spoke with staffers in our reps' offices about supporting global vaccine initiatives and children's health. This is far less intimidating then it sounds, especially when you're doing it to help save lives. You also realize, as stroll through the hallways of the congressional buildings and see people from all walks of life passing by, that you have every right to have your say.

Shot@Life Champions on Capitol Hill

Secret Capitol Hill weapon: three cups of coffee

One thing I spoke about was how this issue hits close to home. With millions of kids unvaccinated, even diseases that have been eliminated in developed countries could return (see: the recent measles outbreak in New York City). Kids with special needs who have respiratory problems can be at particular risk for infection. I hope to return to the Hill in the near future with Reaching for the Stars, a non-profit that advocates for research funding and treatment of cerebral palsy.

A great quote from a video we saw: "We are connected by a love of life." We are connected by our love of children, too. Some easy things you can do to help include sharing a photo of your child via the Donate a Photo app; one dollar is automatically donated global vaccines from now until May 31, or until the goal of $50,000 is reached. You can download the Shot@Life app to spread awareness. Or share stories from the Global Moms Relay to automatically donate a dollar, now through May 11.

There's no request for you to donate (although feel free to here). Just an ask that you care, and share what speaks to you.

As moms, we know

Disclosure: The United Nations Foundation provided transportation and lodging for this trip. 

15 comments:

  1. This hits home to me as I am a parent to 3 children from a developing nation. My daughter who has special needs had no real chance at life in her country. And my son was exposed to something that we don't see here as a result of vaccines. It puts things in a new perspective, we have the luxury or vaccines here, other moms would do anything to have the same choice. Thanks!

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    1. Joyful Journey....
      "I am a parent to 3 children from a developing nation.". As someone who has a HUGE heart for adoption, I wanted to commend you!! Awesome!! ;-D
      "My daughter who has special needs had no real chance at life in her country. And my son was exposed to something that we don't see here as a result of vaccines.". Mmmm.... Your childrens life experiences break my heart.... :-(
      --Raelyn

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  2. A good friend adopted a boy from a developing country and nearly lost him to TB before she could get him home. He is a very healthy boy with autism now and they have since adopted 2 sisters for him. We take good health for granted but that should not blind us to how important it is to protect others. Thanks again Ellen for stepping up xx

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    1. Lisamaree....
      "A good friend adopted a boy from a developing country and nearly lost him to TB before she could get him home. He is a very healthy boy with autism now and they have since adopted 2 sisters for him.". As someone who has a HUGE heart for adoption, I wanted to commend your good friend!! Awesome!! ;-D
      "We take good health for granted.". I can't but agree!! ;)
      --Raelyn

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  3. Ellen....
    "There are mothers in other countries who do not cry when their children die. This is because they expected it.". That. Is. Heartbreaking. It was a fact that I think I already knew. But knowledge does not make it any less heartbreaking.... :-(
    The campaign gathered more than 36,000 vaccinations?! Thanks be to God!! ;-D
    "We know what it's like to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. Children in developing countries may seem a world away to some, but we know that children who seem so different than others really aren't. We know that every child deserves the chance to succeed. A shot at good health. A shot at life, no matter where they live.". Very good, very, very, very good!! ;)
    "We talked about the people in this country opposed to vaccines—and how mothers in the world's poorest countries do not have the luxury of choice. If their children do not get vaccinated, they could die.". Valid point. What an interesting--and tragically true!!--perspective!! :-(
    --Raelyn





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  4. Thanks for sharing your experience with us and thank you for caring.

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  5. So glad you're a voice for such an important cause! Thanks for what you do!

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    1. Thank you. It's easy for any of us to be a voice—send a tweet, post a Facebook update!

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  6. Thanks for another interesting article. I echo the view that this is an important cause and you are a great spokesperson for it. But I couldn't help reel at your opening line. The idea that mothers in some countries wouldn't cry over the loss of a child because death is so commonplace. Really? I am not speaking from experience here, and maybe I am wrong, but I cannot imagine, however poor and desolate you are, and however many of your other children and your neighbours' children have been lost to disease, that you wouldn't mourn a child's loss, and shed tears for them.

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    1. Lynn, I don't know that it's commonplace, but the director of Shot@Life said she had witnessed it. I know, it defies belief. The fact that children are dying of vaccine-preventable diseases in 2014 also defies belief.

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  7. Everyone should have a shot at life.

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  8. (My comment never posted, it appears, damn that iPhone.) Ellen, thanks so much for doing this. For actually going to The Hill, walking those halls, talking to the people who make a difference, and then spreading the word here. I still don't understand how you fit in everything you do, but you really are doing your part to make the world a better place, and I for one am grateful.

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  9. I am so glad that you did this! Thank you for speaking up!

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Thanks for sharing!