Riley’s Story
Riley’s Story
Catherine Hughes AM, along with her husband Greg Hughes, are founders of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia and ‘Light for Riley’ campaign. They share Riley’s story in the hopes that no more children may needlessly suffer and die from whooping cough.
“We were thrilled when our son, Riley John Hughes, was born on February 13th, 2015. He was a healthy and strong baby, and his three-year-old sister, Olivia, couldn't have been more excited. I'll never forget when they first met - Riley's blue eyes locked onto hers and she couldn't stop giggling with happiness. I felt like our little family was complete.
The first few weeks were a blur of breastfeeding, nappy changes, and cuddles. Friends and family dropped by with gifts and meals, helping us adjust to life with two children. We went for walks at the park and to the nearby river, where Olivia could run around while Riley and I relaxed in the shade. We were so happy.
When Riley was three weeks old, he developed a little sniffle. A few days later, he started coughing occasionally, so I called the doctor. He reassured me that Riley was fine, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
That night, I slept solidly, and woke up the next morning with a start. Why hadn’t Riley woken for his feed? I rushed to his bassinet, panicked. He was soundly sleeping, so I picked him up and tried feeding him, but he just wasn’t interested. Worried, we decided to take him to the local children’s hospital.
After a day or two in hospital, one of his doctors listened closely to his cough and looked at us, concerned. She told me that she thought he might have whooping cough, and the next day, swab results confirmed that she was correct.
I was relieved that we had a diagnosis, but I was also scared. I had heard about whooping cough, and I knew that it was a serious illness.
Riley's condition worsened rapidly. His cough became severe, and he needed oxygen to breathe. He developed pneumonia and was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit.
We watched helplessly as Riley's body fought the infection. He was placed on life support, but it wasn't enough. On March 17th, 2015, Riley passed away in our arms. He was just 32 days old, and too young to have received his first whooping cough vaccine.
Riley's death shattered our world. We were heartbroken and lost. But we knew that we had to do something to prevent other families from experiencing the same pain.
We shared Riley's story on social media, and it quickly went viral. Within days, state governments across Australia announced that they would be offering free whooping cough booster shots to pregnant women to protect precious newborn babies like Riley, which has had remarkable success.
We also set up a Light for Riley Facebook page in Riley's honour, and then later founded the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, determined to galvanise the community to improve vaccination rates and heighten awareness of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Riley may have lost his fight with whooping cough, but his death has sparked a movement to protect other babies from preventable diseases. We are determined to keep Riley's legacy alive by fighting for vaccine equity and access.
I hope that by sharing our story, we can help to raise awareness about whooping cough and encourage parents to get their children – and themselves - vaccinated.”
- Catherine Hughes AM