The following, however, has to be one of the most hard-hitting and devastating messages we have heard, from the parents of a baby who died of whooping cough at just 32 days old.
Greg and Caroline Hughes took to their Facebook to share a photo of their newborn son Riley, urging anyone who is anti-vaccination to read his story.
Tiny little Riley is seen wrapped up in Perth’s Princess Margaret Hospital, in the post which read: “If you’re anti-immunisation/ anti-logic/ anti-duty of care to your society as a whole, then feel free to take a look at this picture of my son in hospital right now at four weeks old with whooping cough – and then come and tell me how you think immunisation is a bad thing.”
Dad Greg added: “I can assure you that my views on the subject won’t be changed by your rationale, but it will definitely make it easier for me to cull my pool of friends and acquaintances.”
Tragically, Riley passed away just 48 hours after the photo was taken.
Breaking the devastating news and describing himself as a “shell of a man”, heartbroken dad Greg a wrote: “Riley passed away peacefully in the arms of his mummy and daddy at 14:00 today, aged just 32 days – a result of pneumonia based complications arising from whooping cough.”
The family have now set up a Facebook page in memory of their son, insisting that his death will not be “in vain” and they will “be the drivers of change” regarding treatment and management of whooping cough.
This is just devastating. Our hearts go out to the family.
