Catherine Hughes has wrote a heart felt post to her baby boy Riley who passed away last year from whooping cough.

It’s a bitter sweet month for Riley’s family. They recently shared the exciting news of baby number three due later this year. It is also the month that they should be celebrating little Riley’s first birthday.

Catherine has posted a message on the Light for Riley facebook page to commemorate her son.

Dear Riley,

 Tomorrow we are meant to celebrate your first birthday.

 It will be very different from the way we’d pictured it when you were born.

 Tomorrow is not about whooping cough, it’s not about immunisation, it’s not about how you died or how it could have been prevented.

 It’s about remembering the time we had with you; the incredible day you were placed into our arms, the late-night & early-morning breastfeeds, the grunting instead of crying, the nappy-changing tricks we had to learn to avoid ‘surprise showers’, the family snuggles, the intense gazing at your sister, the short walks in the sunshine to the jetty, the first time I looked into your eyes and fell in love, the soft hair on your head, your smooth skin, and the joy we felt every time we held you.

 I’m posting this today because I don’t know how we will cope tomorrow. How can we celebrate when we miss you so much??

 All our love,
 Mum & Dad xxxxxxxxxx

Catherine has told the ABC that something needed to be done to target “belief systems: undermining the vaccination effort.”

“I think greater education is needed in schools,” she said. “Losing Riley was the worst thing we’ve ever experienced, and it doesn’t need to happen,” Catherine said.

“Watching your baby gasp for breath and being told your baby isn’t going to make it, … it doesn’t need to happen.

“There is prevention available. [It was] not something that I was offered but now every woman in Australia has access to pregnancy vaccination, which means the babies are born fairly protected [from] the disease.”

So heart breaking. I really hope they got to remember him dearly in a special way.

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