This Mom Has a Powerful Message About Vaccinations After Her 12-Year-Old Daughter Died From the Flu

Like many 12-year-old children, Piper Lowery was afraid of needles and refused to get a flu shot, and her mom didn't want to see her in pain and let her skip the vaccination. Now, her mom, Pegy, is the one suffering after her 12-year-old daughter passed away from flu complications a few months ago. Pegy is sharing her story to spread awareness and beg parents to have their children vaccinated.

Piper's fever hit 105 degrees and she was vomiting blood, but the flu attacked her kidneys and she passed away from flu-related renal failure in January. She's unaware if the vaccination would have saved her daughter's life, but she's working hard to spread her story so other parents do not have to lose a child. Pegy has joined forces with the Fight the Flu Foundation to knit hats for babies and promote the urgency of the influenza vaccination. "According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 2014 study showed that the flu vaccine reduced children's risk of flu-related pediatric intensive care unit admission by 74 percent during flu seasons from 2010-2012," CBS News reports. The CDC recommends vaccinations for children starting at 6 months old. "I want my daughter's legacy to live on forever," Pegy said. "That's my job now – to be her legacy maker."