Shiva Motlagh-Elbakri's nightmare began in June 2022 when she took her four-month-old daughter, Mytilini, to the hospital with grave concerns.

Mytilini had been recovering from a prolonged bout of RSV when she suddenly seemed unwell again. She became extremely irritable, developed high fevers, and would arch her back and stiffen whenever her mother tried to place her in the pram or change her nappy.

Shiva, a former medical interpreter, recognised these as telltale signs of meningitis.

Despite initial assessments suggesting a stomach bug, her health rapidly declined. Within days, Mabel was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis, which had caused severe damage to her brain. 

After a week of intensive care, her parents faced the unimaginable decision to remove her from life support, and she passed away on 22 September.

In late August 2024, 52-year-old Heidi Duckworth faced an unexpected health scare. A busy professional, Heidi had always prioritised her health, but as fatigue set in she began scheduling rest breaks during her workday. 

“I told my partner I just didn’t feel right,” she recalled. 

In a quiet Adelaide suburb, Deborah Smith, a 72-year-old retired nurse, finds herself battling the lingering effects of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) six years after the infection.

As a former nurse, Deborah was no stranger to health challenges. However, nothing could have prepared her for the debilitating impact of severe RSV.

In June 2022, mother-of-three Kellie Damon noticed her 13-month son Owen was unusually quiet and still.

For a baby who was always on the go, Kellie was concerned, especially when she noticed how pale he looked. Something wasn’t right.

When Marie Compagnon bought home newborn Elio during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020, the family did what they could to protect him.

Santanna’s second child Rebel was only four weeks old when she caught RSV from her two-year-old brother in July 2023.

By day three of cold-like symptoms, baby Rebel took a turn for the worse and was rushed to Monash Children’s Hospital.

The source of the virus a mystery, baby Flynn started exhibiting classic cold-like symptoms including a runny nose and slight cough. After two days, when Flynn’s cough had deteriorated to alarming bouts of breath-holding, Kiara became very worried.

Lisa Loader from Adelaide is on a mission to raise awareness of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) after experiencing a terrifying ordeal that left her battling for life.

For some Whooping Cough (pertussis) can be a persistent cough that lingers for months but for others it is a life altering illness and can sadly, prove fatal.

For eight years, tears marked Kaya's birthdays. Meningitis altered her life forever, but resilience, love, and determination painted a vibrant new journey.

Catherine Hughes AM, along with her husband Greg Hughes, are founders of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia and ‘Light for Riley’ campaign.  They share Riley’s story in the hopes that no more children may needlessly suffer and die from whooping cough.

Timothy Britten CV is a senior sergeant in the Western Australia Police Force. After his heroic actions in the immediate aftermath of the 2002 Bali bombings, Timothy was awarded the Cross of Valour, making him Australia’s highest-decorated police officer. As an ambassador for the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, Tim has shared his debilitating experience with whooping cough, shining a light on the importance of adult boosters.

Heidi lives in Northern NSW, where vaccination rates are low and outbreaks of disease like whooping cough are common.  An experienced paramedic and owner of a First Aid business, Heidi became a passionate advocate for immunisation in her local community after a traumatic experience of whooping cough whilst pregnant.   

Broome Mum Naomi bravely shares a story very close to heart – the story of her son Blake, who’s death from whooping cough left the family shattered.

Greg was a busy and active man in his fifties, working full time to deliver milk.  His partner Val shares with us his story, and the devastating impact whooping cough has had on his life.

One day, around ten years ago, my Mum contracted whooping cough when she was visiting a childcare centre for work.  Concerned about how sick she was feeling, she saw a doctor who reassured her that it was just a cold.  She continued to cough and cough, so a month later returned to the GP who tested her.

In April 2023, 68-year-old Margaret McMahon started to feel a little unwell but brushed it off to simply being rundown. 

It was last winter, and Harper had the sniffles and a cough. Karl and I assumed she just had a bit of a cold. But within hours, she became very sick. 

Born six weeks early, Chloe and Macie were healthy newborns, and we were happy parents. Five weeks later, our world turned upside down.  

In the winter of 2016, just 18 months after our four-week-old baby boy had died from the complications of whooping cough, my husband and I confronted the realities of RSV when three-week old Lucy was rushed to hospital.

My gorgeous boy was born with cystic fibrosis, so it goes without saying that he has needed a little more medical attention than the average child. 

I knew something was very wrong with our little man. Something that started out like a cold was turning pretty nasty. He wasn’t eating or drinking; he was vomiting and really limp in my arms. My maternal alarm was screaming. 

Hazel was around two months old when I put her to bed, noticing she was a little congested. When she woke up, it was clear something was very wrong. 

My two-year-old was the first to get sick, quickly followed by me, and then little Henry who was only seven weeks old.  

In July 2011, when Declan was a little over two months old, his Mum, Samantha, was admitted to hospital where she later learned she had Swine Flu (H1N1), a strain of influenza virus. She had developed pneumonia and both lungs collapsed. She was in the fight of her life when she was told that an ambulance had been called for Declan.

At fifteen days old, Amie was a healthy baby. The next day she was sleepy and not feeding well. Overnight she developed a runny nose. Amie’s Mum was concerned and took her to the GP who recommended an X-Ray and check-up at Prince of Wales Hospital, in Sydney. To her parent’s surprise, Amie was diagnosed with pneumonia.

Tahlea’s life changed forever when, at six months old, she narrowly survived Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) or ‘meningococcal’. For Tahlea and other Aboriginal children, the incidence of meningococcal is forty times higher than for other children in Australia.

Measles can affect nine out of ten people exposed to the virus, if not immune. Laine was too young to be vaccinated when she got the measles at ten months old. She survived, but at seven years of age she complained to her Mum, Cecily, she felt ‘dumb’ and was having trouble following instructions. Cecily was worried. Weeks later Laine was diagnosed with Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) as a complication of Laine’s measles.

In 2012, Melanie and Sean’s daughter, Mylee, was a healthy fifteen-month-old baby. When she went to bed, after her busy day at day care, she smiled at Sean and went to sleep. When they tried to wake her the next morning, she was unresponsive. Despite CPR and emergency services intervention, Mylee passed away.