There are many different stories out there, and I appreciate all the individuals that have made a sacrifice to help us all become better familiar with a variety of adverse vaccine reactions.
By Deana Latta-Poole 
What I’m about to write, may shock some readers. However, this is the harsh reality for many families, and our story is offered for public awareness, which I am hoping will be used as an educational tool.
19 years ago my son Clayton was born. His induced birth was difficult, and with the aid of forceps, he was born blue, (cyanotic) unresponsive and needed to be resuscitated. He was brought around, though apgar scores were initially low. Although very alert, no one heard Clayton cry for three days. By the time we left the hospital, Clayton was, in spite of the events surrounding his birth, a normal, extremely alert little guy. He would lift his head and follow the nurses around the room with his gaze. The nurses were very impressed!
In the weeks that followed, my baby was a very happy, easy going little guy, who nursed well, gained weight and slept well. He was alert and never fussy. He was a beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed cherub. He loved the sound of his own voice.
Little did I know, at 19, what we were in for….
Clayton’s first DPT-P shot was administered at 8 weeks. Within hours, I could not hold him, try as I might, for he was arched right over backwards. His screaming was non-stop, at an unnatural, terrifying pitch I had never heard before. I later learned this is called ‘the encephalitic scream.’ I called our family pediatrician at 2 a.m. asking if I should bring Clayton in to the ER. No, I was told, this was normal, and it was suggested to me that I should just let him ‘cry it out.’ I was then told that Clayton would be fine, and that I should leave him be and go get some sleep. This went on for 16 hours!
