In a deeply poignant effort to raise awareness, a devastated couple has shared a heart-wrenching video of their infant son, who tragically succumbed to whooping cough complications. The couple, Sarah and David Thompson from Western Australia, hope their story will encourage expectant mothers to get vaccinated against this preventable disease during pregnancy.
On March 17, 2015, their son, Noah, lost his battle just four weeks after birth. The video captures the agonizing coughing fits that their tiny, beautiful child endured, a sight that no parent should have to witness. Sarah Thompson expressed her heartbreak in a message accompanying the video, revealing that these were the last recordings of Noah before he passed away. She was unaware that a whooping cough vaccine was available during pregnancy or that it could protect her newborn.
With the intention of reaching as many pregnant women as possible, the Thompsons shared the video in hopes that it would inspire others to make the informed choice to vaccinate. “These videos have always haunted me, hearing my precious son cough like that,” she wrote. “But I am sharing this in the hope that it will convince even one more expectant mother to shield their baby from this disease. I wish I had known about pregnancy vaccinations when I was expecting Noah.”
CDC Recommendations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends that pregnant women receive the whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) during the third trimester of each pregnancy to help protect their newborns. After vaccination, the mother’s body produces protective antibodies that are passed to the baby before birth, offering crucial short-term protection against whooping cough and its serious complications. The CDC advises that expectant mothers should ideally get vaccinated between the 27th and 36th weeks of pregnancy to maximize this protection.
“I cherished every moment of being Noah’s mom, even if it was just for those four weeks. I wish it could have been longer,” Sarah reflected. “Please share this message to help prevent other families from experiencing such a tragedy. I dream of a day when whooping cough is a thing of the past.”
Additional Resources
For more information on protecting your family, you can refer to this excellent resource on pregnancy and home insemination. Additionally, if you are interested in understanding more about couples’ fertility journeys, check out our post on using an artificial insemination kit.
Summary
A grieving couple, Sarah and David Thompson, shared a poignant video of their infant son, Noah, who died from whooping cough just four weeks after birth. They aim to raise awareness about the importance of receiving the whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy. The CDC recommends that expectant mothers get vaccinated during the third trimester to provide essential protection to their newborns.