Kyle Huneycutt: My daughter depends on all of us

Read full article at Florida Politics

By Kyle Huneycutt

Florida’s vaccine protections matter most to children who lack immunity.

A week before her fourth birthday, we found out my daughter, Evelyn, had leukemia. In an afternoon, the ordinary worries of raising a preschooler now included treatment schedules and blood counts. We faced the reality that the next few years of our little girl’s life would be anything but ordinary.

Chemotherapy wiped out her immune system. Now, something as minor as a common cold was a serious threat and could lead to days or weeks in the hospital.

Evelyn missed months of school. When it was finally time for her to return, we had to trust that her classroom would be a safe place to learn, play and just be a kid. Though her body was healing, her spirit was hurting. She desperately missed her teachers and friends.

Her classmates understood this better than many adults do. They wanted her back. They were excited to help keep her safe and healthy so they could all be together again.

Part of that trust was knowing the kids around her were vaccinated. It was one of the only things we didn’t have to worry about during the hardest time in our lives.