Heidi’s Story

Heidi’s Story

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.   

“I contracted whooping cough when I was six months pregnant in 2008. At first, I thought I had a nasty upper respiratory tract infection. It didn’t go away, and the coughing became progressively worse. I had coughing spasms so violent I feared I would lose my baby. I vomited after every spasm. I was incontinent after every spasm. I burst blood vessels in my eyes, strained muscles in my back and chest, and was unable to care for my two year old.

After the particularly bad spasms, which could go on for minutes at a time, I would either cry from being so frightened, or I would fall into an exhausted sleep, only to be awoken several minutes later by another bout. This went on for nearly 3 months. I look back now and feel sick to the stomach that I may have unknowingly infected others during the time I remained undiagnosed. If I had contracted the disease even one month later, I would have passed it on to my vulnerable newborn baby, and this would be a very different and tragic story. I was a fit, healthy adult. How a baby suffers from this I cannot even begin to imagine.

My baby boy was born in Brisbane within a few days of the beautiful Dana McCafferey being born in the Northern Rivers, who tragically lost her life to whooping cough at the age of 4 weeks. Please make no mistake. This is a disease which can, and has, killed, and has left many who survive with permanent disabilities.

I’m relieved that whooping cough vaccines are now available to provide some protection to pregnant Mums and newborn babies, but it’s so important that everyone else is up-to-date on their whooping cough boosters.  It takes a community effort to keep us all protected”.

• Heidi, NSW