Saturday, May 19, 2012

And Everything Stops for a Second...

The daily delusions, presented with the arrogance of ignorance and a degree from Google U, the smugness of those whose children are protected by herd immunity, afforded by the grace of having been born in a time when a lot of diseases are preventable by vaccines, are so tiresome to counter.

"No, by the time it is properly diagnosed, pertussis can not really be treated."
"No, SIDS did not disappear from Japan when the raised vaccination age to 2 years and stopped whole cell pertussis vaccination, instead, pertussis cases and fatalities soared."
"No, unvaccinated kids do not have the better immune systems."

The past week has been particularly bad, with media outlets thoughtlessly spewing anti-vaccine dreck (hat tip to Seth Mnookin). Despite State after State reporting pertussis outbreaks or even epidemics, every day there was a chance to whack-a-mole-of-the-day... oh, there is another.

So tedious.

And then, everything stops for a second:

Francesca Marie McNally

February 24, 2012 - May 17, 2012
Resided in Franklin, MI

FRANCESCA MARIE McNALLY, May 17, 2012, of complications from Pertussis. Age 3 months.

Most precious angel of Sean and Veronica. Dearest younger sister of, and inspiration to, Duke and Stephen. Cherished granddaughter of Thomas and Debra McNally and Stephen and Frances Valentine. Great-granddaughter of Phyllis Lanesey, Mary Jane McNally, and the late Robert McNally, George Holt, Frank Lanesey, Joseph and Joan Craig, and Bernice and Stephen Valentine. Goddaughter of Tyler Wesorick and Erin Goward. Also survived by eight cousins and many aunts and uncles.

Memorial Mass Wednesday 11 a.m. at Shrine Chapel of Our Lady of Orchard Lake, 3535 Indian Trail, Orchard Lake. Visitation at church begins at 10 a.m.

In lieu of flowers family suggests memorials to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, 301 E. Liberty, Suite 400, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. A.J. Desmond & Sons, 248-362-2500. 



My heart goes out to the McNally family. No one should have to bury a child. Let's whack another mole and save a life or three...

4 comments:

  1. My utmost sympathies for the McNally family.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My condolences to the family, as well. I could say more, but I'll just leave it at that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am not quite sure what you mean, Roger, this is not an anti-vaccine family. The little girl was 3 months old.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think he means that Francesca was not protected by herd immunity, in part due to anti-vaxxers. At least that is what I hope he means.

    ReplyDelete