This post is inspired by Shot@Life, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation that educates, connects and empowers the championing of vaccines as one of the most cost-effective ways to save the lives of children in developing countries.
In 2006 I laid on the floor of my bedroom and cried in the unbearable fear of knowing my child had cancer. I sobbed for her body and I wept for my family. I was devastated to hear these words used in association with my baby. I cries for a thousand reasons.
I never cried because my child wouldn’t get medicine.
It took her hair. It made her vomit. It saved her life.
Three years out of chemotherapy, starting third grade, that same child has been blessed by the healing that medicine gave her.
What if I’d cried because I’d know there was no medicine option?
Do you even realize that pneumonia and diarrhea are the two biggest killers of children under five. These two illnesses make up 1/3 of of childhood deaths worldwide.
Why is this your fault? It’s not.
Is it your responsibility? Maybe.
Can you do something simple to help a child in need? YES!!
For EVERY COMMENT LEFT HERE, $20 WILL BE DONATED TO SHOT@LIFE.
What does that mean?
$20 is is a night at the movies with popcorn. $20 is a novel and cup of coffee at your favorite bookstore.
$20 is what it costs for one child to receive life-saving vaccines: measles, pneumonia, diarrhea and polio; preventable diseases like these take the life of a child every 20 seconds.
You leave a comment = $20 is donated to vaccinate a child
Du
ring Shot@Life’s Blogust: Blog Relay for Good, 31 bloggers, one each day in August, are writing about people from our communities who have inspired us. Every comment on this post and the 30 other posts will be matched with a $20 donation (up to a maximum of $200,000). That’s 10,000 comments. And 10,000 children. $20 is what it costs to give one child four life-saving vaccines to help protect them against measles, pneumonia, diarrhea and polio. A child dies every 20 seconds from a vaccine preventable disease. We can help stop this.
I’m supposed to talk about a person who inspired me through comments. It’s impossible to choose just one. The friends and family who have left comments during Peyton’s cancer, then through my strokes and are following the recovery are my lifeline. Their words kept me sane some days.
Some days those words were the only positives I heard. They were the support Peter needed.
Maybe it’s a cheat but it’s true. EVERY COMMENT has been important.
I don’t have a comment-heavy blog but I’m asking readers to stop lurking and give these children the vaccines they so badly need. You can give by leaving your comment and spreading the word.
In this blog relay, I took the baton from Elena Sonnino who posted on Tuesday and I will pass it on to Liz Thompson who will post on Thursday. Both lovely ladies have so much heart for this mission and with their help and your comment we’re going to make that goal.
THANKS!
You can learn more about Shot@Life by joining their email list, following them on twitter or liking them on Facebook.
nice post.. thanks for shearing this article.. i m mother and plz visit my site also
happy mothers day´s last post…When is Happy Mothers Day 2015 in my Country?
This is such an important message – thank you!
I comment for the children!!!!!!!!!!!
such a great cause and doing something so little can give back so much
Here goes comment #2 for me because I just love this idea so very much!
I recently got back from a wonderful weekend in Ottawa Canada with an organisation that is near and dear to my heart. World University Service of Canada (WUSC) works to bring students from refugee camps in Africa and Asia to study in Canadian universities and colleges. I told everyone about Blogust and what a great fundraising initiative it is. What I wouldn’t give to find a generous donor to contribute to WUSC’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) in the same way! I am currently fundraising in my own small way for the SRP by challenging myself to run a half marathon in December and blogging about it here:http://21kforchange.blogspot.c…
Communities, be it online or otherwise, coming together for a cause is just so incredibly inspiring to me!
Thank you, Anissa, for taking part!
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I hope you have a joyful future after all the difficult things you have had to deal with – I cannot imagine how hard must be to hear your child has cancer. May God bless you many times over xxx
I can’t remember if I commented on your post or not. I’m playing catch up and it’s such an incredible post that I thought the best that would happen is I would comment twice and save two lives.
Hope life is treating you better…
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To imagine any parent receiving that kind of news is heartbreaking and then to add to that news the fact that no hope could exist because they could not afford medicine or because a crucial vaccine had been missed, well that is tragic. Thank you for this post.
thedoseofreality´s last post…WOULD I PAY MONEY FOR THIS: In the “Zone” + GIVEAWAY
Vaccinations are something we take for granted here. Parents in countries that don’t have vaccines, take diseases for granted. We need to change that. No parent should have a child get sick from a preventable disease. EVER. My hat is off to Shot@Life.
One Crazy Momma´s last post…Animals of Busch Gardens
This is a fantastic initiative, raising awareness, raising funds and making it easy for us mouse-potatoes to get involved and help out.
It should also encourage us to think – and discuss – the necessary education campaigns that should accompany such immunisation drives. There is still a lot of ignorance to be overcome, even in developed countries such as the USA, and unfortunately, we are now also dealing with the backlash of the covert operations in Pakistan that took place under the guise of vaccination campaigns.
Lots of work to do, but, as the famous proverb says, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
Thank you for participating!
From another grateful mother of a cancer survivor.
every chilld deserves a shot a life
Thank you for using your voice to help this cause!
Comments! COMMENTS!! We need more comments!!! Thank you, Anissa, for all your efforts!
Thank you for being an advocate of such a great cause as Shot@Life and thank you for your blog. It only takes a few minutes to change the course of someones life!
And to think that there are many in this country who have access to these vaccines and choose not to vaccinate their children… such a misinformed choice
I’m sorry I took so long to comment. Such a wonderful post and cause. You left a comment for me once, back after BlogHer when I picked up cards of people who couldn’t make it. Don’t blog much now, but you continue to inspire, and amuse, and titlalate with your eye candy
I love love this campaign and I am more than happy to comment away – awesomeness!
I’m typically a lurker, but had to come out of the woodwork for this. I don’t have kids yet, but can’t imagine something like this happening to my nieces or nephews and having the biggest, most crippling fear come from not being able to obtain their medicine. Every child deserves their shot at life. Thank you for posting this.
Thank you for sharing this moving post Anissa and for supporting this great cause. Thanks also to shot@life for giving these children a fighting chance through vaccination!
Jami Eidsvold´s last post…Working from “Home”
Thank you for sharing this moving post Anissa and for making a difference for this cause. What a meaningful initiative from shot@life!
I wanted to let you know that I am happy that your daughter is healthy again. Thank you for working to keep other children healthy.
What a beautiful post, Anissa. Thank you for sharing and for being inspired, as you inspire so many. Yes, I know, it’s the forbidden word, but it’s got to be allowed, for at least this one post, right?
I think this is an incredible Blogust event, and I’m happy to do my share by commenting on every single post out there (I’m working backwards today!) in support.
Sending you continued love. xox * nycpizzagirl (we never did have pizza together! Boo!)
Andrea´s last post…Go find me …
thanks for blogging. modern medicine has great tools for saving lives and vaccination is important. Let’s remember to support mos and dads in raising healthy children
As a cancer survivor myself (5 years), I cannot imagine if it had been one of my children. I hope this project is immensely successful!
Thanks for supporting such a great cause!
What a great cause- I’ll be sharing this with my community service fraternity, maybe we could do something with them at some point! Vaccines are so important!
Nikki´s last post…On Windshield Washer Fluid…
What a wonderful cause – every child should have access to medicine!
So true…thank you for this opportunity to support such a great gift.
Amen to vaccines!
What a great campaign! Thanks for being a part of something that helps us all do a little something to help the world be a better place.
I heart you. And your heart.
Thanks for helping this cause!
Healthy kids for the win!
Thanks for pointing out that is probably our responsibility to help others. I am my brother’s keeper. I appreciate this chance to help a child.
Thanks for your story and pointing out that is probably our responsibility to help this children and others who need it. I am my brother’s keeper.
This post got me to stop lurking and leave a comment!
I’ll comment to help kids get vaccines.
Thank you to whomever is donating to this cause..there is no greater gift than helping children in need. God bless you!
What a wonderful post! Thank you for this!
In spite of all the controversy I am, and will continue to be, pro-vaccine. Unfortunately the hysteria and misinformation surrounding its use has diminished its importance and in some cases endangered lives.
Thank you for sharing your story, Anissa. And thank you to shot @ life for their generosity in this program.
It takes so little of time, money, energy, or pray to make a huge difference in someone’s life. You never know what a little act of caring will do for someone. Reach out.