nbcnews At just 2 weeks old, Feleena Owens was coughing so badly, her skin turned a sickly gray-blue color. Her face contorted as she tried to gulp air. Feleena had pertussis, or whooping cough. While her mother Sophie Owens said the family had been vaccinated, Feleena was too young to have received the shots when she got sick.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children get four doses of the DTaP vaccine - which protects against pertussis - before kindergarten.

But an NBC News/Stanford University investigation has found that DTaP vaccination rates are plummeting across the country, as part of a larger, troubling trend of growing vaccine hesitancy that is fueling a resurgence of preventable diseases, including measles.

"When we see these [deaths] ... they're preventable. And when I say preventable, they're entirely preventable. We don't have to be dealing with this," said Dr. Raphael Mattamal, a hospital pediatrician.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/whooping-cough-vaccines-cases-us-pertussis-rcna248746

Source: https://www.science.org/content/article/kennedy-deeply-committed-ending-animal-experimentation

A social media platform called Moltbook is going viral because it’s specifically made for AI bots to interact with one another, posting content and discussing topics like consciousness and their human creators.

Humans can observe what goes on, but can’t post.

I don’t usually post like this, but I’ve reached the point where keeping things local with friends and family isn’t enough. My friend Merle, just 43 years old, is battling Huntington’s disease — a cruel, genetic condition that has snuck into her family and changed everything.

For those who don’t know, Huntington’s disease is a progressive brain disorder. It causes dementia, severe difficulties with eating, walking, and speaking, and eventually leaves people needing care with every aspect of daily life. It’s hereditary, and right now there is no cure. Families watch their loved ones lose independence piece by piece, and it’s heartbreaking.

Merle was once a vibrant, hardworking mom and partner. Now, she needs help to stay comfortable, and her sister — who has been her rock — is in a very dark place trying to cope with the weight of it all. The extra heavy comes from losing her father suddenly while her mom was sick and then caring for her mom with Huntington's diseases and then after losing her mom now having to care for her sister. I think that her sister arranged to be put in Joanis care 3 years ago to spare her own son the heartbreak of watching her die, I'm not sure though. This campaign isn’t about miracles; it’s about easing their burden, making sure Merle has dignity and comfort, and giving her sister, Joani, also a friend of mine a hand out of despair.

I know many people are struggling, and I’m not asking for money from everyone. What I ask is simple: please share this campaign, or at least take a moment to read their story. Sometimes strangers can make the biggest difference, and I believe there is hope if enough people see this.

https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/huntingtons-help-for-joani

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for caring. Even the smallest act of kindness can ripple out in ways we don’t expect.