That’s a phrase we hear a lot. It’s just a little cold. I’ve talked before about how regular old colds can affect Evie, but I thought I’d show you not just Evie, but also some of her CHARGE friends with just a cold.
Only one person in our house is sick. The rest of us are fine. I promise.
You need to let that child live a little!
I washed my hands before coming over. That should be enough.
He’ll have to face it someday!
Some germs are good for her!
You know, exposing him to more will build up his immune system.
MY child was only sick for a couple days so it’s really no big deal.
I’m up to date on my vaccinations and that takes care of all the really dangerous stuff.
God won’t let your child get sick if he’s coming to visit family!
Don’t you think you’re keeping her from experiencing life?
A cold can’t possibly make your child that sick.
You’re just being dramatic.
You can’t put him in a bubble forever, you know.
You’re just being paranoid.
No, we’re not.
We’re not being paranoid.
A little cold is so much more for my daughter and for many others out there, not just kids with CHARGE. It can lead to struggles with breathing, to hospital stays, to pneumonias, to antibiotics, to infections, to collapsed airways, to horrible nightmarish things that they may never fully recover from.
PLEASE. Please. please.
Stay home when you’re sick. Wash your hands. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. And then wash your hands again. Use hand sanitizer after you touch your face before you touch anything else. WARN people that you are sick or that someone in your household is sick. Wipe down surfaces that you cough or sneeze on.
Do it yourself. Teach your children.
Please. It’s not always just a little cold for someone else.
*If you’d like to see updates on little Kane since his crisis a year ago, you can go to his family’s blog here.
All That Hath Life and Breath 
I can’t believe (well, actually I can) that people who don’t deal on a daily basis with the challenges and heartache CHARGE families face would have the nerve to offer “advice,” which comes across as criticism. Shame on them. Keep reminding all of us. It’s good advice for the general population, too.
If you have a child that has a compromised immune system, just say “NO!” If they want to come around your child and spread germs, they do not care for their well being, so, do not take excuses, explanations, or ridicule. Our children are worth our protection at all cost.
And that carries on to school-age children as well–if your child (that sits next to my child in class) has a sore throat and fever, please don’t send him on to school and plan to take him to the after hours clinic when you get off work for that strep test. He may be absent a day until the antibiotics kick in, but my child could be absent a week or hospitalized even longer. Ask your school to initiate a policy that they be notified by the parents if any child tests positive for flu or strep, and ask the school nurse to notify you in such cases, especially if the sick child is in your child’s grade or room.
Thank you so much for your important perspective! My child has cp and a little cold is a big deal for her as well. We need to not only change our school and work policies about allowing ill children to be present and people’s attitudes about what to do when their children are sick…but also to change workplaces to include sick leave policies for their employees to care for their children. The comments that you listed were foolish, insensitive, intrusive and just downright wrong for people to make to you. As a parent of a child with special needs I frequently find that people just don’t get our lives….but if we can put policies in motion that benefit all children….our kids health will benefit as well. If a parent will lose their livelihood by taking a day off to care for their child…they will continue to bring them knowingly to daycare, school and public places to spread their illnesses. Let’s eliminate one of the reasons for that occurring ….we all benefit from sick leave policies. I wish health to you all…and will share these images to explain why it’s not just a cold!!!
I love this article. This is somthing I deal with on a daily basis.
People just don’t get it. I’m constantly having to tell people not to kiss her or get in her face. Which I know is hard… she’s a baby. That’s what I wanna do when I see a baby.. but I know better.
When my charger gets sick we get sent hours away from home for weeks at a time. Friends family and loved ones are texting and calling trying to find out her diagnosis…. when I tell them she has a cold they don’t get why were still in the hospital in the ICU for “just a cold”….
My favorite saying in my house is “wash your hands and say your prayers because Jesus and germs are everywhere “♡
I shared this article I hope you don’t mind. Thankyou for writing it!!