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Helping Give Parents a Shot at Life

For 20 years, I have been an active PTA member and a passionate advocate for education, diversity and inclusion of minority students in our schools and communities. As a PTA member, I have the opportunity to educate, create awareness, address issues and stand up for the rights of children in many ways.

As a Shot@Life Champion, I stand up for the rights of children around the world! I have been supporting, advocating and championing for Shot@Life because I believe in their mission and goals. Working as a nurse in Mexico, I saw firsthand children living in poverty and with health issues.

I have always felt a sense of duty to do everything I can to address the needs and alleviate the problems of others. I grew up seeing the effect a lack of basic vaccines has on children in poor countries. I saw the pain and agony of children suffering from measles, diarrhea and other diseases.

Because of this, I know that a simple vaccine can make the difference between life and death for children in developing countries. Shot@Life resonates with me and should reverberate with you and everybody else – especially, for those who care about human life. No matter where you live or where you are from, when you hear that a child dies every 20 seconds from a vaccine-preventable disease, you want to get involved.

One of my favorite experiences was the time I spent with the Shot@Life in Uganda. The Ugandan people’s courage and resilience as well as the children’s smiles and gratitude taught me the power of kindness and the triumph of the human spirit. Truly a little bit of charity can yield great progress and beneficence.

Shot@Life is raising awareness to help immunize children in Uganda and many other developing countries fighting against vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, polio, pneumonia and rotavirus. I believe in this cause and pride myself on being part of a campaign that saves children lives!

I am a mother, and I know that parents will do anything to make sure that their children are safe and healthy. I know too that all of you love children and stand for the human rights of children.  So please join me to help protect, save, and give children around the globe a shot at life. It can start with spreading awareness through your social networks, writing letters and calling your members of Congress and pledging to share the message with all your friends.

Look for the Shot@Life booth during the National PTA conference, and ask how you can become part of this campaign. The Shot@Life team will be there to answer questions and show you ways that you and your PTA units can get involved with the cause. Please join me to help protect, save and give children around the globe a shot at life.

Felisa Hilbert