Play a Game, Save a Life
About two years ago, my son, daughter and I all came down with rotavirus, a common gastrointestinal illness that one study estimated infects 96% of children at least once by age two. (No, we hadn’t been vaccinated against it; a stupid mistake on my part.)
My daughter and I recovered quickly, after a day or two of vomiting and mild diarrhea. My son was a different story. He vomited every hour or so for the first two days, then came the diarrhea. By day four, he was so dehydrated that he lay on the bathroom floor and wouldn’t (or couldn’t) move. One night in the hospital, and several thousand CCs of IV rehydration solution later, he was a much happier camper. The diarrhea continued for a few more days, but we were able to keep him hydrated and out of danger.
In the U.S., stories like my son’s play out an estimated 55,000 times (per CDC) each year. Aside from the unpleasantness of the illness, the burden is mostly financial, due to hospitalization costs and days of missed work for parents (the diarrhea can take up to 10 days to clear, during which time the child must stay out of school or day care.)
However, rotavirus takes a much more serious toll in the developing world, where it kills more than 500,000 children every year.[1]
Fortunately, there is a vaccine, and a number of organizations are working together through the GAVI Alliance to ensure it, and other life-saving vaccines, reach those who need it most, but can least afford it.
Esther at Mainstream Parenting Resources alerted me to a great way to support GAVI: by playing the word game at GiveVaccines.org.
Give it a try. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it might save a life or two.
