'My daughter died after getting measles as a baby - this is my plea'
A mother who lost her daughter to complications from measles has issued a heartfelt plea to parents to vaccinate their children. The warning comes after a child in Liverpool died from the disease.
Rebecca Archer's 10-year-old daughter Renae passed away after being diagnosed with a rare and devastating brain condition known as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). This progressive neurological disorder, which affects the central nervous system, can be triggered by contracting measles.
Renae contracted measles at just five months old, a time when she was still too young to receive the vaccine. Rebecca is now urging parents to ensure their children receive their vaccinations, firmly believing that if more children had been vaccinated, her daughter would not have contracted measles as a baby, and ultimately, would still be alive today.
Rebecca said: "Renae hadn't had the MMR because she was under 12 months old. If there wasn't an outbreak and more kids had their vaccinations, then she wouldn't have got the measles in the first place. And it wouldn't have ultimately ended her life.
"It's like a nightmare, it's still hard to believe that's why Renae's not here anymore. Because of having the measles ten years previously."
Rebecca recalled that after the initial bout of measles, Renae had been unwell for only a few days before returning to full health, making the eventual outcome all the more devastating. A decade following a bout with measles, young Renae suffered seizures at school, leading to the devastating diagnosis of SSPE.
Renae's condition declined gradually, until Rebecca, from Salford, Greater Manchester, faced the heartbreaking situation last September: it was time to switch off her daughter's life support.
First speaking a year ago, Rebecca said: "She had one every week and then I think it was the third seizure where they did an MRI. Then that's when they discovered there was some swelling on her brain.
"Her motor functions started to deteriorate – she just slowly couldn't speak or eat. When she went into ICU, they didn't know what was actually causing it.
"It was actually the measles and it was SSPE. And that's when they told me it was going to be fatal. And then we had to make a decision to turn the machines off."
Dr Manisha Kumar, chief medical officer for NHS Greater Manchester, has expressed hope that sharing Rebecca's traumatic ordeal would 'encourage' others to verify their children's immunisation records.
Dr Kumar said: "Rebecca's story is one example of many, that illustrate why we need to urgently reverse the decline in the uptake of childhood vaccinations, in order to protect not only ourselves and our families, but our wider communities. We hope that through brave people like Rebecca coming forward with their personal stories.
"Combined with the multi-media campaign, it will serve as a reminder that these diseases have not gone away. It will encourage parents and guardians to check their children's vaccination status and book appointments if any immunisations have been missed.
"Two doses of the MMR vaccine are needed to get lifelong protection against measles, mumps and rubella. Simply by ensuring you have both doses you not only protect you and your family against the illness, but also those who you come into contact with who may be vulnerable."
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