Why Family Advocacy matters
IN THE FALL of 1953, fraternal twins Janice and Frankie were just starting first grade. Right before Halloween, Frankie stayed home with what seemed like a mild head cold—nothing too serious. But within days, he was struggling to breathe and had to be rushed to the hospital.
What followed was every parent’s worst nightmare: a spinal tap, a diagnosis no one wanted to hear, and an iron lung. Being in that loud, confining metal tube, paralyzed and unable to breathe without help, must have been terrifying for seven-year-old Frankie. Tragically, he died just 61 hours after being admitted to the hospital.
That same evening, Janice was diagnosed with polio too. She survived, but had to relearn how to walk. Just six months after Frankie’s death, the first polio vaccine trial began. A year and a half later, the vaccine was available in the United States. It would go on to save millions of lives—but it came too late for Frankie.
Today, Janice is a wife, mother, grandmother, and a proud polio survivor. She still misses her brother. She also worries. “As more and more parents question the necessity and safety of vaccinations [mostly because of so much misinformation online] I must confess that I am worried,” she says.
Most of us have never seen polio firsthand. It’s easy to feel like it’s something from the past. That’s the tricky thing about the incredible success of vaccines. They’ve worked so well that we’ve forgotten just how dangerous these diseases really are and that they are still a threat. It’s not just polio. We could tell a similar story about meningitis or whooping cough. These illnesses haven’t disappeared—they’re just being held at bay by vaccines.
If we stop vaccinating, these diseases return to threaten our children.
That’s why all of us have an important role to play. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or family friend, you can help keep kids safe by being a trusted voice and advocate for vaccines. This toolkit was created to give you the facts and tools you need to speak up and share your vaccine support. It’s about helping others make informed choices, and being there for those who may have questions or concerns.
Based on Janice Flood Nichols’ story told to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Watch Janice tell her story: I Am a Polio Survivor The Vaccine Makers Project
VACCINES WORK
They protect the people we love. And with your help, we can make sure they continue to protect the children we love.
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