'This is why you should vaccinate your children': Former 'anti-vaxx' mom's viral post after son gets whooping cough
A mom’s warning is going viral on social media after her unvaccinated son caught whooping cough.
Jessica Boren shared the heartbreaking story of her 18-month-old son Brody to Facebook after admitting she took an “anti-vaxx” stance with her youngest child.
The young mom, who said vaccination propaganda took over social media, admitted she stopped vaccinating her son once he turned six months old.
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“This is a mother that sees ‘anti-vaxx’ all over social media and becomes terrified. Unsure whether to give or not give vaccines (even though she did for both of her girls). Terrified to ‘pump her baby with poison.’ Worried she’s harming her child,” wrote Boren. “So she stops vaccinating after six months.”
“This is a baby boy struggling to breathe and turning blue with every cough. Coughing for over a minute each time. Multiple times an hour. For five days. Getting worse by the second. This is my happiest child, unable to laugh without having a coughing spell.”
The Missouri woman said she took her son to the emergency room twice, and both times was told her son had a viral infection. She said that her “mother’s instinct” kicked in — and she knew something was seriously wrong.
Knowing she had stopped vaccinating her son, she decided to do some research of her own.
Boren believed Brody had pertussis — commonly known as whooping cough, While doctors claimed it was unlikely due to the rarity of the disease, Borsen persevered — and doctors tested the child for it. A half hour later, the 18-month-old was admitted for the violent respiratory illness.
“This is our son getting diagnosed with a deadly illness that could’ve totally been prevented. This is my baby boy being placed in a Bio-Hazard hospital room. With so many nurses and doctors, all of which were in gowns and masks. This is my baby holding onto his mommy and daddy for dear life. Petrified of the people in scary masks and gowns,” Borsen wrote.
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“This is my baby being poked, prodded, X-ray’d [sic], suctioned, connected to wires upon wires, unable to move and roam like a toddler desires. This is four days of him not eating or drinking on his own. Having fluids pushed so dehydration wouldn’t add on to the list of problems.”
The mother-of-three admits the experience has caused an onslaught of guilt — not just because of her son’s illness, but because she knows her actions put others at risk as well.
“This is pure hell. This is guilt. Guilt of putting not only my son at risk, but my community too. This is being a statistic that had to be reported to our county and surrounding counties,” wrote Boren.
“This is NOT bashing the ‘anti-vaxx’ community. Nor placing blame or judgment on anyone. The decisions I made were MY decisions. Based purely on my lack of knowledge and fear. This is to show the consequences of not vaccinating my child correctly.”
The post has been shared more than 95,000 times — and the responses are surprisingly positive.
“This is brave. Think of how many kiddos you may save from this by sharing your story,” read one comment.
“I hope your son is doing better. Peace and love to you all, one parent to another. It is tough to see our littles so sick. Don’t punish yourself. Don’t feel guilty. You did what you thought was right. Much love to you all,” said another.
Boren is hopeful her message reaches parents across the internet and spreads awareness of the consequences associated with skipping the important step for young children.
“This is our story. In hopes that our awful experience can help educate other families. Praying no other mom or dad ever have to witness their child endure this,” she wrote. “This is why you SHOULD vaccinate and protect your children.”
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