Up until a few months ago, Rebecca Hendricks and Pegy Lowery were strangers. Today they're tied by a bond they never wanted to share.
“I don’t want anybody else to join this club,” says Lowery. “It’s horrible, absolutely horrible.”
Pegy Lowery and Rebecca Hendricks both had daughters who died from the flu. Hendricks' little girl Scarlet was only 5 when she passed away in December of 2014. Lowery's daughter Piper was 12 when she died just this past January.
They both passed away within days of contracting the virus.
“I wasn’t educated on what flu symptoms were,” says Hendricks. “I didn’t know the flu was deadly.”
On Aug. 20, Hendricks and Lowery are organizing the “Walk to Fight the Flu 5K” at Jefferson Park in Tacoma to raise awareness about flu prevention.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 150 children nationwide died from flu last year. In 2013, research shows 90 percent of kids who passed away from influenza were not vaccinated.
Hendricks says she did not believe in flu shots, until she lost her Scarlet.
“It puts into perspective that you can’t say it won’t happen to you.
The Fight the Flu 5K Walk will also feature a flu drive that will make flu shots available for both adults and kids.
Both moms hope this is just the start of a long partnership to help kids stay healthy from the flu.
“It’s huge that people need to understand how bad this can be,” says Lowery.
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