Mom Shows Anti-Vaxxers How Her Girl Celebrated Her First Birthday, Thanks to the Measles

As the measles epidemic continues to spread across the country, more parents are speaking out and sharing their stories in the hopes that others will understand the risk of saying no to vaccines. Jilly Moss from London is one of the many parents whose child has contracted measles — a virus she caught because she was too young to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine — and she refuses to stay quiet about it. Instead, the mom shared heartbreaking photos of her young daughter as an attempt to warn all skeptics that measles isn't "just a rash."

Moss explained that her baby girl contracted measles because she was too young to get vaccinated -- not because she's against vaccination.

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Facebook/Jilly Moss

As the mom explained in a post that has been shared over 97,000 times on Facebook, her daughter Alba didn't get sick because she opted out of vaccinations. "Posting these heartbreaking images of our beautiful baby girl who contracted MEASLES is extremely difficult, we are still in hospital 8 days after being admitted," she wrote on April 14.

It would be bad enough if Alba was only sick, but as her mother explained, things are so much worse because she hasn't been vaccinated. "She was too young for her MMR vaccination when she got sick which meant she has had to fight this killer virus with no immunity," she wrote. 

She also reportedly shared that her daughter had to spend her first birthday on April 1 very sick "with a high temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius (about 104 degrees Fahrenheit)."

Instead of being able to celebrate this first milestone with a smash cake or celebration with loved ones, she was rushed to the emergency room in an ambulance.

At the hospital, Moss' little girl has been put through the wringer as doctors try to fight her illness.

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Jilly Moss/Facebook

At first, doctors immediately suspected measles based on her alarming symptoms. "All of the tests that were done in hospital were imperative to determine what was wrong with Alba, even though the doctors thought it was measles from the start," Moss wrote. "She deteriorated fast and was extremely poorly. Alba was also showing symptoms of Kawasaki disease, possible meningitis and of course secondary infections amongst other illnesses that come with measles."

Like so many parents who can only watch as their children try to fight the illness, it has been painful for Moss to helplessly stand by and witness her daughter's treatment.

"It has been absolutely horrific watching our daughter fight this with her eyes swollen shut for four days," Moss wrote.

She has been in the dark, scared with a high fever that lasted for over two weeks. In hospital she has been scanned, X-rayed poked prodded bloods taken, lumbar punctures done, canulars fitted, swabs taken, ECG Eccos, obs done every 20 mins, tube fed, on a drip, oxygen, pumped full of drugs, anti inflammatory pain relief antibiotics you name it she’s had it.

As the photos show, Alba's measles blossomed into bright red splotches across her body, and doctors made a personal request. "[They] asked if we will share photos of Alba to educate about vaccinations," she wrote.

"Measles is not 'just a rash' it can cause blindness, encephalitis and pneumonia."

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Jilly Moss/Facebook

"The truth is this all could have been prevented if the protection layer of older kids above Alba had been vaccinated," Moss wrote. 

From January 1, 2019, to April 19, 626 individual cases of measles have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) across 22 states in the United States. "This is the second-greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since measles was eliminated in 2000, second only to the 667 cases reported during all of 2014," the CDC reported. "In the coming weeks, 2019 confirmed case numbers will likely surpass 2014 levels."

Aside from travel, which can spread measles if one leaves the United States and brings it back with them, the CDC wrote that "U.S. communities with pockets of unvaccinated people" is one of the main ways the disease can spread.

In the United States, it is recommended that kids get their first vaccine shot between the ages of 12 to 15 months and their second between 4 and 6 years old. In the United Kingdom, children get their first jab at 12 months. Because of these timelines, Alba was too young to get vaccinated when she caught the illness, and anyone who declined vaccination but came into contact with her increased her chances of exposure.

That is why Alba's mom is speaking out with powerful visuals for all anti-vaxxers to see: "We need to do more people. Get your children vaccinated."

"Educate yourselves, talk about it, spread the word SHARE THIS POST," the mom wrote. "Do whatever you need to do because without the care of Chelsea and West Doctors, our beautiful baby would not be here today."

"The MMR does not cause life threatening issues like measles does," the mom continued. "Your babies might feel under the weather for a day or so but believe me you’d accept that over what we have been through."

As for the future of Alba's health, the mom told the Sun that "her cough is still very bad so she will be monitored to make sure her chest stays clear so there’s no risk of pneumonia."

"I am so adamant that people need to see how poorly she was," Moss said. "Before this she has been a very well baby … We worry for the future and the lasting effects all we can do is hope and pray that she will be okay and she won’t have anymore complications."