Lesley Thompson
ASMP Advocate

Our grandson, Kale, was a happy, healthy two-year-old when he developed a fever one morning. His parents took him to the emergency room, where they gave him a popsicle and diagnosed him as having the flu. Our daughter-in-law then noticed that he had a rash on his arm, so the doctor came right in and did a spinal tap. They decided to rush Kale to Children’s Hospital by helicopter and when he arrived, he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and had a 2% chance of surviving. Kale did not survive this horrific vaccine-preventable disease. Our family has testified for vaccination bills at the Denver Capitol numerous times, and we continue to be active in promoting awareness for childhood vaccinations, especially meningitis. If we can save one child’s life, we hope that another family will never experience what we had to. Pictured is Lesley’s grandson, Kale.