Looking for Storytellers!

Robin was one of the most prolific storytellers I have ever known. She understood the power of a story to connect us, move us and remind us why the work we do matters.

One of the lessons both Robin and I took away from the Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Program was:

“No stories without numbers, and no numbers without stories.”

So, here are the numbers:

As of September 24, 2026, 3,659 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States in 2026. Of those, 3,642 were reported by 47 U.S. jurisdictions, with an additional 17 cases reported among international visitors (CDC, 2026).

But numbers only tell part of the story. We also need the stories of the people who remember what vaccine-preventable diseases looked like before vaccines changed our lives. We need to hear from those who witnessed measles outbreaks, who remember the fear and disruption and who understand from personal experience why prevention matters.

Grandparents for Vaccines is looking for those stories.

There are stories out there that deserve to be heard and sharing them can help connect today’s numbers with the lived experiences of generations before us.

Please take a moment to read Conor Curtin’s guest blog, which shares Grandparents for Vaccines’ request for these important stories.

Because, as Robin knew so well, numbers inform us but stories help us remember.

Continuing Robin’s mission with love,

Eileen Gavin

Introductions and a Plea for Help

By Conor Curtin

I graduated from college earlier this year, and soon after that, I became the video specialist for Grandparents for Vaccines. In this role, I gather and edit stories, told by grandparents and others, about moments in their lives when vaccines – or an absence of vaccines – impacted them.

These videos are poignant reminders that many diseases that I grew up thinking about as distant, sepia-toned memories are still having a significant impact today. Far too many people are still feeling the effects of losing a loved one, or experiencing disability, as a result of diseases like measles, diphtheria, and polio. In sharing their stories, grandparents show us their experience of living during the days before vaccines were available, but they can also show us that the harm infectious diseases caused is still being felt to this day.

What’s worse is that the diseases themselves are making a comeback. Measles, pertussis, and diphtheria, for example, are reemerging. Connecting today’s risk to yesterday’s stories is why I’m so proud to work for Grandparents for Vaccines. Our members tell their stories from long ago as a kind of warning to today’s young people.

For example, one of the stories, which I found very moving, comes from Deb, who tells us about her son’s struggle with bacterial meningitis, caused by Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b). In the story, she shares that her son needed a spinal tap, which was incredibly dangerous. He suffered significant weight loss and permanent hearing loss from the disease. Thankfully, her son survived. This story is so moving because it transcends time. It’s not about the disease itself; the video shares a story about a woman almost losing her son. Everyone, especially parents, can feel that.

As powerful as our stories are, we need your help. We need more people speaking up about their experience of the time before childhood vaccination was available. Did you know someone who suffered from measles, polio, or another serious infectious disease? Did you have the illness yourself? If so, please reach out to us at https://grandparentsforvaccines.org/share-your-story/. I will share instructions and walk you through the process of shooting and submitting the video.

The best way to remind all of us of what’s at stake is to share stories, to keep the past alive through people. Let’s keep the memory of these diseases (not the diseases themselves) alive.

Link to Deb’s video: Deb – Indiana