Being Kendra Read Free Page A

my son. So I try to stay true to my instincts and consider everything in moderation. I try to keep him healthy and use natural products, but when it comes to medicine, I use it as needed and directed. I’m not going to go all-natural with that. If he is sick I’m going to give him medicine to take away his pain. Any time I give him a shot I get so scared because of all of the horror stories out there that it causes autism. I did my research though and I think that all of the people out there saying “don’t do it” are actually doing more harm than good.
    Jenny McCarthy is one of the foremost activists when it comes to fighting the practice of immunizations. I like Jenny a lot and I respect what she stands for. But my belief in her cause changed drastically after I had a child of my own.
    I first met Jenny long before ever getting pregnant. I was living at the mansion at the time, and we were invited to one of her events (well, Hef was). It was a benefit for autism being held at Jim Carrey’s house. She showed us all the information she had and talked about autism and some of the causes of it. That night I realized how serious the issue was and I learned a lot about Jenny’s beliefs about the causes and the importance of awareness.
    A little while later I got pregnant and the H1N1 virus was going around like wildfire. It was all over the news that pregnant women were at risk, so I went right out to get a regular flu shot. Unfortunately, I got really sick. I was sweating, had a high fever, and ultimately had to go to the hospital. It was obvious to me that this was a direct result of getting the flu shot, because it happened within hours of my vaccination. I was so scared I was going to lose the baby. I was shaking and having mini seizures. Then guilt set in. I thought back to that night at the autism benefit and remembered what Jenny McCarthy had warned us about vaccinations. I had filled my body with foreign substances, which my body was trying to reject, so I got angry at myself. I just kept asking myself, “What did I do?” I was petrified that I had put the baby at risk. I spent the rest of my pregnancy, four long months, with this worry in the back of my head.
    A few months later in Indianapolis, when Hank Jr. was born, the doctors asked me if I wanted my child to be part of a vaccination program. I wasn’t prepared for the question and struggled to weigh the pros and cons to find an answer. Sometimes with stuff like that I wish they’d just go ahead and do it. I’m not really qualified to make those kinds of decisions; my only education on the subject of vaccinations is what I remember from looking it up on Google while I was pregnant. I thought back to Jenny McCarthy again, and after my flu shot experience, I was really on her team. I needed to know more to make this decision, which seemed more important than ever, so I asked the doctors at the hospital about the benefits and risks of getting vaccinated and not getting vaccinated. What are you giving to him? How much? What percentage of people do it vs. not? They explained to me that if my baby got one of these viruses or infections, it’s a much worse outcome than if he were to get autism. I know that’s a horrible thing to say, but the chances of something bad happening are far more likely and deadly if he doesn’t get vaccinated. With this new information in hand, my views changed. This was about what’s best for my son. And now that he was a living, breathing human, I wanted to protect him even more. So I gave him the shots.
    I gave Hank Jr. the shots my way though. I spread them out instead of flooding him all at once. I said, “You can give two shots now and spread out the rest. We’ll come back as often as needed to get it done. Just don’t do it all in one day.” That was my way of trying to protect my baby. That’s what made the most sense to me and felt right instinctually for my family. We all need an advocate in this world, and I