Jude hugging his twin brother Thomas during a family walk in 2016. (Credit: Jill Promoli – Photographer)
In the average year, over 12,000 Canadians will be hospitalized for reasons related to influenza, and roughly 3,500 will die. How many of these are preventable"
No one of any age is safe from the potential of serious complications from the flu, but the very young are much more vulnerable than many realize. “Parents in general aren’t sufficiently aware of how serious influenza can be in young children,” says Dr. Nicole Le Saux, Vice-Chair of Immunize Canada. “Every year Canadian children develop serious complications from the flu, and every year children die.”
In May of 2016, Jude and his twin brother Thomas were just two years old when their older sister Isla picked up a virus at school. Jude woke up a few days later with a fever, a seemingly common symptom in young children. “When I put him down for his afternoon nap, he was laughing, singing, and happy, like he always was,” says Jill, his mother. “I put both boys down for their nap just like any other day. When I walked in to wake them up, Thomas jumped up and Jude didn’t. When I tried to wake Jude, I immediately realized that he wasn’t just sleeping and that he wasn’t okay. He wasn’t responsive and he wasn’t breathing.” Jill called 911 immediately and began administering CPR, but Jude was pronounced dead an hour later at Cre...