Madi Allen was a healthy 12-year-old when flu landed her in the hospital and nearly took her life. She still suffers long-term side effects but is living her life and working in healthcare.
I was 12 years old when I nearly died from complications from the flu. I don’t remember much from that time, but what I do remember is being transferred from our local hospital to a bigger hospital and then being told they needed to intubate me so I could rest. They didn’t give me many details; I just knew I was really sick and having trouble breathing. I woke up five weeks later.
At that time, I was transferred to a children’s hospital, where they had to put me on life support because my organs had shut down. The doctors told my parents I had a 1% chance of survival. I spent two weeks on life support and another three weeks on a ventilator and in a medically-induced coma until they finally woke me up. It took me a total of 93 days before I was able to leave the hospital, and still, to this day, I live with the impact of that one case of the flu.
I was not vaccinated that year and got sick with the flu. Many years have passed, and my mom still feels so guilty for not taking me to the doctor’s office for my annual flu vaccination, as she’d done every year prior. She didn’t realize the importance, and it was not convenient for our busy schedules.
Long-lasting effects
I’ve had several setbacks with my health since the flu. I suffer from lung disease, chronic cough, and asthma, and I undergo daily vest treatments. A few years ago, I had a large portion of my lung removed to improve my quality of life. This situation is ongoing and will continue for the rest of my life.
I can say that I do remember being in the hospital several different times, thinking, “The flu is not going to stop me. I am going to be someone who makes a difference.” Growing up, I had wanted to be in the military. Well, I couldn’t pass the physical. I decided a criminal justice degree was the next best thing. However, I got out in the real world and quickly realized that was not where I was supposed to be. So, I looked into working in healthcare to see if I had the passion to even do it. Then, I started to become intrigued with my own story, my illness, and my journey.
I’m now a medical assistant in a pulmonary clinic, where I help educate and raise awareness of the importance of annual flu vaccinations. I even administer flu shots to our patients and can relate to them by sharing my own story.
This flu season has been very startling with the high number of flu cases. That, along with other respiratory illnesses and low vaccination rates, is very scary for someone like me who could again become severely ill if I were to get the flu. It is so important that people remember that getting a flu vaccine is not just about you; it’s about the people around you — those you know and love and those you may run into during the course of the day. Remember, the flu does not discriminate. Please get your flu shot. It’s not too late.
