Spreading Gratitude for Healthy Children – #Tweetsgiving 2009 – #healthykids

Spreading Gratitude for Healthy Children – #Tweetsgiving 2009 – #healthykids

children laughing - Spreading Gratitude for Healthy Children – #Tweetsgiving 2009 - #healthykidsThanksgiving includes lots of good food (nom onm mon) and it’s time to pause to give thanks. What I’m most thankful for this Thanksgiving is healthy children. When a child is healthy they get to play, learn and, simply, just be a kid. Healthy kids means more smiling faces, more infectious giggles, and a better future for us all.

One thing that greatly contributes to children’s health is the amazing advances in vaccinations. With vaccines we are protecting today’s children and future generations from the devastation of polio, mumps, measles, rubella, chickenpox, HPV, meningitis, whooping cough, diphtheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Hib, rotovirus, tetanus and influenza.

When a child is protected from disease with vaccinations they get to avoid missing school due to the flu. They get to stay out of the hospital when they are dangerously dehydrated from rotovirus. They get to play with children with cancer because they can’t spread disease to these vulnerable kids.

Now, I’m a cup half-full kind of girl. I find it hard to believe that people can’t think of a single thing to be thankful for everyday of their life. I find the opportunity in every challenge and look at every mistake as a lesson learned.

My optimism is shaken by the growing group of parents who fear vaccines. They fear the vaccine schedule saying it’s too many shots too soon. They fear the ingredients. They fear the “conspiracy” of profiteering vaccine manufactures. They fear the possible side-effects.

What I fear is disease. I fear polio, photos of iron lungs scare me. I fear the erosion of the confidence in science. I fear media moguls pushing their beliefs to sell books and products.

I can’t understand how a parent feels more fear about a simple shot rather than the nastiness of a disease. I can’t imagine choosing to leave my child vulnerable to sickness and disease that I could have prevented. This includes the new H1N1 vaccine. I can’t imagine sentencing my child to a week of fever, coughing, runny nose and, possibly, vomiting that I could have prevented.

While I can’t empathize with parents who are afraid of vaccines, I can empathize with how they arrived in this space of paralyzing fear. Parents are subjected to a barrage of information. They have access to so much information on the internet and TV that it’s hard to weed out what is correct versus what is irrational misinformation. I do empathize with parent’s need for good information about this important choice of their child’s health.

When I need a shot of optimism, I turn to organizations that are fighting to provide information about the science of vaccines. Organizations like Every Child By Two, the Autism Science Foundation, California Immunization Coalition, Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition, PKIDs and the Immunization Action Coalition are independent nonprofits which work to increase childhood vaccine coverage. These organizations are toeing the line, standing up for science and medicine. We should all look to these organizations as trusted sources of information.

My hope is that parents evaluate the sources of their information. We all need to evaluate our fears to see if they are rational or if it is a fear unduly influenced by the media or untrustworthy sources.

If you would like to join in my gratitude for healthy children, please consider doing two things:

thankathon - Spreading Gratitude for Healthy Children – #Tweetsgiving 2009 - #healthykidsShare why you are thankful for healthy kids through the Colorado Children’s Immunization Healthy Kids Thank-A-Thon. You can submit a comment, photo, video or blog post which celebrates healthy kids everywhere this Thanksgiving. You can always tweet your gratitude for healthy kids by using the hashtag #healthykids.

AND

tg tweetsgiving logo - Spreading Gratitude for Healthy Children – #Tweetsgiving 2009 - #healthykidsParticipate in the global groundswell of gratitude called TweetsGiving. The celebration, created by US nonprofit Epic Change, is an experiment in social innovation that seeks to change the world through the power of gratitude. I hope you’ll visit the TweetsGiving site to learn more, and to bring your grateful heart to the party by sharing your gratitude, and giving in honor of that for which you’re most thankful.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with health and happiness!

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Kate Runy

CONTENT & MEDIA SPECIALIST

A passionate technical wizard, Kate thrives on managing online content, social media for communications, and development projects.  Kate is the workhorse of the team, pulling out amazing feats of content creation and management week in and week out. 

Prior to joining BC/DC Ideas, Kate coordinated website and social media content, communications, and advertising for Go Global NC and Alzheimer’s NC.

Things that make her happy: I love animals about as much as I love working for nonprofits.

Mishel Gomez Cespedes

CONTENT COORDINATOR

Mishel brings a passion for video storytelling and quippy social media content to the team.  At BC/DC Ideas, she is most likely editing video or scheduling the next moving social media post for our clients.

Her ear for storytelling is her greatest asset. Mishel has a unique ability to assemble content into a concise story that moves audiences to action.

A graduate of Wake Forest University she spent a semester in Spain and years serving her community through the campus organizations. Now, she is putting her passion for good to work.

Brian Crawford

creative director

Mix equal parts nerd and creativity and that’s Brian. A natural problem-solver, Brian’s ability to cut to the core of any problem helps guide our creative team to the correct solution without wasted time or money. It’s the core, this little nugget of truth, that helps our clients take the next step with their audiences.

Brian gets the greatest joy out of helping our clients realize and connect with their story. He is a true believer that everyone and every organization has a compelling story to tell, you just have to listen with an open heart.

Things that make him happy: Hanging out at the park with family, toddler-speak, hitting the focus pull, and good coffee.

Dawn Crawford

principal

The engine behind BC/DC Ideas, Dawn has dedicated her career to good. Dawn brings her considerable experience and expertise to helping elevate the nonprofit sector. Our team’s lead strategist, Dawn is often seen leading our IdeaStorms, penning communications plans, or checking in with clients.

Before launching BC/DC Ideas in 2010, she earned her chops in 10+ years of communications leadership roles for public health, healthcare and youth-focused nonprofits. Working for nonprofits is Dawn’s dream job, and she loves that her 40+ hours a week make the world a better place.

Things that make her happy: A glass of champagne to celebrate big wins, Basecamp, living in the South, seeing the world, and a well-formatted spreadsheet.