Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Roald Dahl's Heartbreaking Lesson About Childhood Vaccinations

    Uploaded by

    api-315708007
    58 views2 pages
    Roald Dahl's daughter Olivia died from measles in 1962, shortly before a vaccine was introduced. This tragedy had a profound impact on Dahl and led him to campaign vigorously for childhood vaccination. In a letter encouraging parents to vaccinate their children, Dahl recounted Olivia's symptoms and rapid decline from the illness. While no parent can protect a child from every threat, Dahl wanted to spare others the horror of losing a child to a preventable disease now that the measles vaccine existed.

    Original Description:

    Original Title

    capstonerelationtoauthiorslife

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    Roald Dahl's daughter Olivia died from measles in 1962, shortly before a vaccine was introduced. This tragedy had a profound impact on Dahl and led him to campaign vigorously for childhood vaccination. In a letter encouraging parents to vaccinate their children, Dahl recounted Olivia's symptoms and rapid decline from the illness. While no parent can protect a child from every threat, Dahl wanted to spare others the horror of losing a child to a preventable disease now that the measles vaccine existed.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    58 views2 pages

    Roald Dahl's Heartbreaking Lesson About Childhood Vaccinations

    Uploaded by

    api-315708007
    Roald Dahl's daughter Olivia died from measles in 1962, shortly before a vaccine was introduced. This tragedy had a profound impact on Dahl and led him to campaign vigorously for childhood vaccination. In a letter encouraging parents to vaccinate their children, Dahl recounted Olivia's symptoms and rapid decline from the illness. While no parent can protect a child from every threat, Dahl wanted to spare others the horror of losing a child to a preventable disease now that the measles vaccine existed.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    OneofthemostimpactfuleventsinRoaldDahl'slifewasnottheplanecrashthatalmost

    killedhim,buttheearlydeathofhisdaughter.OliviaDahlwasRoaldDahlseldestdaughter.In
    Novemberof1962,Dahlsoldestdaughterbecamesickwithasevereformofalocalmeasles
    outbreak.Withinhoursoffeelingtheinitialsymptoms,Oliviawasdeadfromtheillness.This
    canbeseeningreaterdetailinReader'sDigests
    RoaldDahlsHeartbreakingLessonAbout
    ChildhoodVaccinations
    .Thequotegoes,ThreedayslaterOliviadisplayedthehallmarkfever,
    runnynose,cough,andblotchyredrashthatcharacterizeameaslesinfection.Afterdaysinbed,
    herfeverwanedandrecoveryseemedimminent.Thenextmorninghowever,Oliviastartedto
    complainofaheadacheandsleepiness.Herconditionsoondeterioratedrapidlyandlaterthat
    nightshedied.Oliviahaddevelopedencephalitis(inflammationofthebrain),arareand
    sometimesfatalcomplicationofmeasles.(Stork1).
    LessthanayearafterOliviaDahl'sdeath,avaccinewasreleasedtoimmunizechildren
    fromthemeaslesdisease.ThefactthatOliviadiedrightbeforethelifesavingvaccinecameout,
    washeartbreakingforRoaldDahl.Inanefforttocometotermswithhisdaughter'sdeath,Roald
    begantocampaignvigorouslyforchildhoodvaccinations.ThepassingofRoaldsdaughtercan
    beseenasaninfluenceinaprovaccinationletterthatRoaldwrotetowardsparentsofall
    children.Thisinfluencecanbereadinaquotefromtheletter,stating,Thereistodaysomething
    thatparentscandotomakesurethatthissortoftragedydoesnothappentoachildoftheirs.
    TheycaninsistthattheirchildisimmunizedagainstmeaslesTodayagoodandsafevaccine
    isavailabletoeveryfamilyandallyouhavetodoistoaskyourdoctortoadministerit. (Dahl
    3)ThequotebyDahlcanbeseennotjustasawaytohelpmotivateparentsgettheirchildren
    vaccinated,butratherasawaytomakesomegoodofhisdaughter'spassing.Thedeathofachild

    isahorrificallytraumaticeventforanydecentparentofthisworld.Someparentstrytocope
    withtheirlossthroughreligion,whileotherseasethepainwithdrugsandalcohol.Forsomeone
    likeRoaldDahl,oneofthewaystocopewiththeirlossistowriteaboutit.Withboththepassing
    ofadaughterandthesurvivalofaplanecrash,RoaldDahl'slifecanbeseeninfluencinghis
    workwitheverydetail.

    You might also like