Roald Dahl is still considered today as the most popular children’s book author in the UK. Of him such classics as “Matilda”, “Charlie and the chocolate factory” or “Sophie and the giant”. And in real life, he loved children; with his wife, Patricia, he had five. His granddaughter Sophie Dahl, later famous Model, recalls always loving your 1990 deceased grandpa.
What many do not know: Dahl suffered a severe blow of fate. In 1962, his oldest daughter Olivia died of seven years. The author of this event completely threw off track. What was to him, but finally, it is important to Other parents facing a similar experience keep. That is why he wrote in 1986, when the medical research was advanced, an open letter to a medical journal. To read his touching line of today, you have unfortunately lost none of their urgency and relevance.
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Roald Dahl’s daughter fell ill with measles
“Olivia, my eldest daughter contracted measles when she was seven years old,” writes Dahl. “As the illness took its usual course I can remember what I’d read to her often while she was in bed and me not too Worried about made. One Morning, as she was already much better, I showed her how you could shapes out of colorful pipe cleaners, small animals. As she was about to try it myself, I noticed that her head and her fingers worked together. You couldn’t do anything with your hands.
“Are you feeling well?” I asked you to. “I’m so tired,” was her answer. An hour later, she was unconscious. Twelve hours later she was dead. The measles had turned into a terrible thing called measles encephalitis and there was nothing, what could the Doctors do to save you.”
The Doctors were helpless, there was no salvation
The legendary writer explains that even in 1986, when he writes his letter, a such outgrowth of measles was not curable. But there is an Alternative: “Today, there is something that parents can do to ensure that such a tragedy happened to any of her children. You can make sure that your child is vaccinated against measles. I could not do in 1962, and for Olivia, because there was no reliable vaccination. Today is a good and safe vaccine for every family is available. You just have to ask your doctor. Many people still don’t believe that measles is a dangerous disease. Believe me: you are one.”
Maybe this is the cause of today’s Impfskepsis that we are in the fortunate Situation to have to long no more to watch, as he suffers from a preventable disease, and, possibly, complications experienced, and suffers any permanent damage or dies. Because almost all of us are vaccinated against these diseases – at the request of our parents, some of which have yet seen the impact of polio or Mumps in others. It is good that the letter from Roald Dahl, it was published also in England, again, to make us aware of the fact how luxurious is our Situation, but we can squander this kind of luxury. And certainly no one wants to go through what the parents of little Olivia.
Source: “Independent”
