Immunisation is part of raising healthy country kids

When Wheatbelt nurse Rhiannon Jones lost her daughter to influenza B in 2019, she never imaged the illness could take the life of a healthy child so quickly.

Helping families protect their children is more than a job for WA Country Health Service childhood immunisation nurse Rhiannon. It’s a promise she made, shaped by her own experience of losing her daughter, Lucy.

Every day, Rhiannon supports parents to make informed decisions about childhood vaccinations, sharing her knowledge as both a nurse and a mother.

It’s a role she chose from an unimaginable loss, and one she hopes will spare other families from experiencing the same heartbreak.

In 2019, Rhiannon’s two-year old daughter, Lucy became unwell with what appeared to be a fever and flu-like symptoms.

Rhiannon’s family was visiting Perth for a few days, before Lucy and her older sister suddenly turned ill. Rhiannon noticed their soaring temperatures, so she popped them both to bed.

“I would check on them every half hour, and about nine o’clock I saw Lucy had vomited, I picked her up and I noticed she wasn’t sleeping anymore she was actually unconscious,” Rhiannon said.

She never thought something like this would happen to her and her family, that’s why she is urging people to reduce their risk.

Rhiannon immediately called triple zero, in the meantime Lucy had begun to have seizures and continued to have them on the way to Perth Children’s Hospital.

As Lucy’s condition deteriorated, doctors confirmed the following day she had tested positive to influenza B. The condition had caused significant damage to her brain – and it became apparent that Lucy wasn’t going to wake.

“No parent ever wants to hear that, we started to realise that Lucy wasn’t going to come home with us,” Rhiannon said.

“The time from when she became unwell to when she died was just five days.

“She was a very happy little girl.

“We laid down next to her and went to sleep with her.”

After Lucy’s death Rhiannon turned her pain into purpose, and now she is a vaccinating childhood nurse.

“Because I was a nurse, I felt I was in a pretty unique position, so I did a little bit of a pivot, and I became qualified to immunise.”

Rhiannon wants to share her story by making people aware of the effects influenza can have on kids and the devastating impact it can have.

“It's too late for us to do anything for Lucy now – but telling the story of Lucy – if that saves just one other family from going through what our family has been through, then that is amazing, and it's a really, really amazing legacy for Lucy to leave.

“However bad you think getting a vaccine is, trust me it’s not worth losing your own child.”

Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus, which includes type A, B and C.

In Australia, the flu vaccine is free for children aged six months to under five years, the FluMist is also available for children aged between five and 17 years old. You can get your children vaccinated at your local health facility or pharmacy.

Influenza is a serious seasonal health risk and vaccination is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce its impact.

Find out more: Influenza (flu)