Isabelle contracted whooping cough four weeks ago and according to her mother still has another two month stay in hospital. Photo / Facebook
Isabelle contracted whooping cough four weeks ago and according to her mother still has another two month stay in hospital. Photo / Facebook
Heartbreaking photos of a sick baby has prompted a mother to speak out about the importance of vaccination.
Annie Mae Braiden's 10-week old daughter Isabelle is in hospital with a tube in her nose, recovering from severe whooping cough.
She has been in an intensive care unit in a pediatricsward in a Canadian hospital for a month and Ms Braiden has shared her daughter's story on Facebook.
The 10-week-old is apparently going through withdrawal symptoms from the morphine she was on when ventilated. Photo / Facebook
"So I wasn't going to do this but I think people need to see what not vaccinating their kids do to OTHER kids," she wrote.
"She [Isabelle] was on a ventilator for three weeks and CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) for 3 days and we're still facing another two months in the hospital.
"She has to learn how to eat all over again, she's going through major withdrawals from the morphine and sedative she was on when she was ventilated, do you know how hard it is to watch your 10 week old go through withdrawals??!!
"We were hours away from losing her, the nurse picked her up and ran her down the hall to the ICU to get her ventilated because we were losing her."
Ms Braiden said it was a parent's choice whether they vaccinated their children or not but they needed to be aware of the dangers.
"Do not tell me that not vaccinating your kids isn't hurting anyone but your own kids," she said.
Annie Mae Braiden encourages parents to vaccinate their kids as her daughter is in hospital. Photo / Facebook
"Isabelle is proof that it harms other children who aren't old enough to get their vaccines yet.
"My son is vaccinated to protect himself and the other kids he's around.
"It never crossed my mind to not vaccinate, I want to protect my children and other children."
Ms Braiden begged parents to vaccinate their children and said it wasn't fair her young daughter was suffering in intensive care, "coughing and turning blue with alarms going off because she can't breath just because you didn't vaccinate your kids".
A number of people have been quick to support the mother, with many touched by the photos of Isabelle.
