An angry mom is considering severing ties with her fellow parents after failing to disclose that their daughter recently had chickenpox, which left her clinically vulnerable kid dangerously exposed to the virus.
Vaccines have played an important role in changing the impact of chickenpox in the United States. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that before the introduction of the U.S. Vaccination Program in 1996, chickenpox contributed to more than 100 deaths and 10,000 hospitalizations every year, with over 4 million Americans contracting the virus.
There has been a 90 percent decrease in deaths linked to chickenpox since then, as well as 92 percent fewer cases and 84 percent fewer hospitalizations. It is a hugely positive shift, but some caution is still needed when dealing with outbreaks of the virus, as the story of one irate mother demonstrates.
Sick child gets chickenpox after sibling's sleepover
A woman writing under the handle name JustLyra shared in a post to Mumsnet that the youngest of her children is clinically extremely vulnerable and has numerous health problems. The mom said that means her kid is not likely to make it to adulthood, and the family has had to be very careful her entire life.
Despite this grim prognosis, the mother said they have always tried to find a balance between protecting their sick kid and making sure her siblings don't live too limited a life. Part of that decision-making has always been that any other parents looking to include their children in activities give them a heads up if there are any potential issues so they can risk assess the situation.
That system worked well for them until one of their other daughters, who is eight years old, attended a sleepover at her friend's house. There did not seem to be any issues when they first dropped her off, with the child's parents insisting there were no colds, coughs, or anything in their home when she went to the sleepover.
Angry mom not ready to forgive or forget
However, the mom's worst fears materialized a few days later when she received a message that the birthday girl had developed chickenpox. Their daughter soon got it, with their clinically vulnerable younger kid also contracting the virus, much to their horror. The latter became seriously ill and was forced to spend six days in the hospital for treatment.
The mom had no issues with the chickenpox outbreak in her household as she concluded it was just one of those things that could not be avoided. Her view changed a few days later, though, as she learned from a mutual friend that the birthday girl's mother was feeling guilty as they knew she had chickenpox before the party.
The parents decided not to say anything, as they wanted their daughter to have a fun birthday celebration. While the girl's dad has since apologized for the chickenpox issue, but the mom is not ready to forgive or forget anytime soon, saying that it doesn't make it okay, according to Newsweek.
