Superbugs – Real People, Real Stories
Superbugs – Real People, Real Stories
Just five years ago, the World Health Organization warned, “A post-antibiotic era—in which common infections and minor injuries can kill—far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is a very real possibility for the 21st century.” This month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared that it is already here.
This series is part of the Small World Initiative's public health campaign to raise the alarm about the severity of the growing global antibiotic crisis and share what people can do to protect themselves and their loved ones from antibiotic-resistant infections (commonly referred to as “superbugs”). The series shares the powerful stories of real people who understand the true consequences of antibiotic resistance and want you to learn before it is too late. Recounting journeys filled with enormous fear, heartbreaking loss, and extraordinary triumph, we hope these stories engender a strong sense of urgency and compel readers to act.
If you have a story to share, please email info@smallworldinitiative.org.
Saving Antibiotics: One Mother’s Journey
In our first story, one mom fights to save lives. Everly Macario’s son Simon was a happy, healthy baby until, at around 18-months old, he came down with a fever. She took him to the hospital in the evening, and by the following morning, he was gone. Although she holds a PhD in public health from Harvard, she had never heard of the superbug MRSA until the very moment the autopsy results came back. She had not realized the extent of the antibiotic-resistance problem. Everly wants to make the term MRSA as familiar a household term as AIDS and hopes that Simon’s life and death will serve as a catalyst for major and positive change.
“I want people to wake up and realize that this isn’t something that just happens to other people.”
Saving Antibiotics: One Mother’s Journey
“Just A Bump”
In our second installment of Superbugs – Real People, Real Stories, Dallas mom Kathryn Librizzi recounts harrowing battle to save her son Andrew’s life. Andrew was born healthy but early and placed in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU). Six days later, he started showing symptoms that doctors later discovered was the superbug MRSA and believed entered through the IV placed in his foot just after being born. Even though doctors knew that other newborns in the NICU had been infected with MRSA, they never suspected that baby Andrew’s symptoms indicated MRSA and were quick to dismiss the early warning signs. Kathryn had never heard about MRSA and had no idea that other babies in the hospital had been infected. Kathryn is sharing her powerful story to warn others so that they can recognize the signs of MRSA sooner.
Real Housewives of Dallas Star LeeAnne Locken Speaks Out to Save Lives
On the screen, Real Housewives of Dallas charity queen LeeAnne Locken is known for opening up about her past struggles, celebrating her triumphs, and being deeply committed to charity work. While she recently welcomed viewers into her wedding to longtime love Rich Emberlin, this week, she is bravely revisiting a terrifying medical journey with a bacterial infection that was eating her alive and could have taken her life during filming. LeeAnne is lending her powerful voice to shed light on the fundamental importance of antibiotics to save lives.
““This disease almost killed me.””
