Light for Riley attacked in official Vaxxed group run by AVN president

Picture a round-table populated by untreated, angry perianal abscesses, each with their own internet connection. That’s the Australian anti-vaccination movement: infected; weeping offensive, purulent exudate; ready to explode at the slightest of prodding; causing excruciating pain; adjacent to faeces and often indistinguishable from it; carving out distressing fistulas from where its festering message can newly seep.

At the precise moment when the discredited, antivax Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network is busily plugging its joint-venture with the makers of the antivax fantasy-film, Vaxxed, antivaxers in the official Bring Vaxxed to Australia/New Zealand Facebook group are busily lying about and vilifying Catherine Hughes and her deceased baby boy, Riley.

The official Vaxxed ANZ group is run by AVN president, Tasha David; AVN member and Vaxxed organiser, Jennifer Smith; and NZ child-abuser and official Vaxxed leader, Sarah Cox. Readers would recognise Cox from her recent threats to hang award-winning journalist Brian Deer:

It was only two weeks ago that Catherine Hughes was forced to issue a statement against lies being posted by antivaxers. These are the facts surrounding Riley’s death from whooping cough:

Catherine Hughes’ Statement:

Riley wasn’t born premature at all, he was born perfectly healthy at full term. We went out in public (park, beach, childcare drop-off for his sister etc) so to say he was “only surrounded by vaccinated individuals” is completely incorrect as the majority of the population are not up to date on their whooping cough boosters.

I’d never heard of “vitamin c protocol” until antivaxers bombarded us after he died. I then discussed this with Riley’s hospital and also with leading pertussis experts in Australia and the UK who said there was no evidence behind the so-called protocol.

Riley was breastfed and then fed breastmilk through a NG tube when in hospital. Not sure what the feeding stuff has to do with it… babies with infections don’t feed as much and that’s what prompted me to take him to hospital.

I’d never heard of the McCafferys til I received a brochure about whooping cough a day or two before Riley died, which had Dana’s story and their Facebook page printed on it. I reached out to them the same night Riley died because I was at a loss and I think I was in shock.

We set up the Light for Riley page pretty early on because our personal profiles were being contacted incessantly and photos being taken by the media. We also thought a page was more beneficial for the fundraising we wanted to do for whooping cough research.

The professional logo was done a few weeks later from a graphic designer who was touched by Riley’s story and offered to do it. [The initial logo was quickly made by] one of my friends in my mums’ group I think. She got each of them to change their profile pic to that for a few days/weeks and then we used it on the Fb page until the graphic designer contacted us and made the current one.

Riley’s grandparents are not nor ever were original Stop the AVN members, that is the strangest claim of all. I did like the page years before all this happened because I have always been opposed to unscientific views and supportive of vaccines.

On June 26 2017, this article was posted to the Vaxxed ANZ group, kicking off another round of antivax attacks on Catherine Hughes and Light for Riley:

Chrystal Shirtcliffe

9 News Perth:

Baby Riley was 32-days old when he sadly died from the vaccine-preventable disease whooping cough. What originally started as a common cold, tragically ended with little Riley passing away in his mother’s arms.

What follows are the lies about Riley’s death, and the vilification of Catherine Hughes, by anti-vaccination activists. All names are included, and Facebook profile usernames linked, to prove provenance.

Karen Harris so was the mother vaccinated? Where did he pick up the whooping cough infection from?

Carla Graham He caught it from an older sibling who picked it up at daycare. Lot’s of vaccinated silent carriers there.

Peta Dowle is an administrator of the Vaxxed ANZ group:

Peta Dowle How many babies have been maimed, have suffered, or have died (recorded officially or not) because advocates, including his parents have used Riley’s death to promote pharmaceutical products. How many babies have died because of Riley?

Kathy Austin Infectious diseases account for around `% of infant deaths….

Diane Swan Riddock Soper hey kill there natural immunity as soon as they are born. With Hep B vaccine which is for drug addicts and prostitutes, Maybe if they are going to be hanging around with that type but there goes what immunity their mother built for them over the 9 months. You should not go near anyone that is immunesuppressed if you have had a vaccine.

Carla Graham It is a bit hard to tell because the records are fudged but that vaccine directly kills around a hundred babies a year in Australia.

Peta Dowle There is no light in using a baby’s death for political purpose.

Anne-marie Stewart Gees they are really pushing this one at present huh.

Michael Caraher and if the media was being honest they would have reported that the baby died from heart failure as complications to …………….guess we will never know …..most likely the high dose multi intravenous anti biotics they use as routine treatment

Jan M Cooper Why is this story being dragged up again???? It’s very very sad that this little darling passed away, but he died of Pneumonia which was a SECONDARY complication of Whooping Cough! ie Whooping Cough was not the primary cause of death, as is being constantly stated in the media!

Carla Graham They keep using it because there are very few babies who die of WC and they have to get maximum milage out of this one. Also his mother agreed to that propoganda site, Light for Riley. Apparently the government asked her to do it, that’s what I heard, anyway.

Anna Harpley It is disgusting that a death is being used for propaganda. Baby Riley may also have died a few months later from neurotoxin overload. Very sad.

Sharon Follows Why are they bringing this old news back?

Kylie Metje I think his mum keeps rehashing it…. I guess it’s her coping mechanism…

Kylie Metje I can’t imagine her grief but as someone who must now be educated with whooping cough quite well it’s hard to believe she can’t see the bigger picture a bit, but I guess she will believe what she wants to believe… anyone who can’t say there is two sides to this issue is not even worth having a conversation with!

John Yiannis Death by medical intervention

Kay Vickery Could have been preventable if the baby was kept out of shopping centres…

Connie Wilson If this mother was recently vaccinated for whooping cough she spread it to her own baby and killed it. Pitty she didnt request vitamin c drip baby may have survived.

Matthew Dexter Its so sad that the mother has become the perfect poster mother for vaccines, she is being used and does not even realise she is so wrong with all that she is doing!

Helena Kresina Offs

Sara Manno-Lampasona Again ,,grrrrr,,,,

Sara Manno-Lampasona Sadly, the cold, hard truth, vaccinate while pregnant or vax yourself or your children, this WILL happen! Stop blaming everyoneeeeeeeee else!,,

Connie Wilson Parents are killing their own children by spreading the diseases from the vaccines they are choosing to blindly have.

Prue Neiberding I always think the photo of mother and child in the park with his tiny bare legs exposed telling. Don’t cart your teensy baby around to every dogfight and wrap the poor little pets up

Helena Kresina Ya, it tells me she is stupid. The articles confirm it!

Kate Researchit Baby had already received at least birth vaccines, THEREFORE baby’s t cells were suppressed and that made baby susceptible to everything. Dtap cannot provide immunity, it does Not contain the pertussis bacteria! Immunity is IMPOSSIBLE. It contains the toxiod. Which is what makes you sick. Think on that for a while.

Susan Kassandra I am disgusted that they use the pain and grief of
These parents to promote fear. If you wish to point the finger. I would love to know how many refugees are completely vaccinated. I would also love to know if this child was around anyone that had been vaccinated and was shedding the disease. Unfortunately children die and it’s always horrid however to use it for fear mongering is just wrong.

Kerrie Ribergaard I agree

Onnika Van Rooyen It’s almost a pattern. Before they bring out a “new” vaccine they start scaring people and suddenly a few weeks later there is a new booster or vaccine and then every misinformed scared parent runs to the nearest clinic. U will all see a couple of weeks from now there will be a new preventable booster for whooping cough designed by Tom, dick and harry

Alison Lagertha Phoenix This was years ago. Whooping cough deaths in infants are so rare that they have to use this story again and again.

Alison Hedlund Could have been caused by the vaccine.

Renee-Ryan Ramone You wana know how you prevent this disease…..look after your child’s immune system, make sure they have a fighting chance when/if they contract it.
Sick of seeing these kind of comments here. Push your vaccines elsewhere, considering that it’s not just the bloody pertussis vaccine that you get when wanting a whooping cough vaccination. It is in no freaking way effective!!!!!!! But does cause a lot of cases of whooping cough to be spread to these poor babies of ill informed parents!!!

Luke Bennett Considering the mother would have had the TDaP while pregnant we know where the baby was introduced to the virus. And considering the baby would have had the vit k and hep b at birth we can safely assume there was more underlying causes that contributed to this childs death. If no vaccines were given this child would have had a much better chance of survival

Mickaela Bakker “Catherine did everything right. She loved and cared for Riley each and every day. She trusted her insticts. The family diligently complied with the Australian vaccination schedule.”
Lol they label the article as if the baby wasn’t vaccinated to scare people, it was and it died

Sue Rope Ne Hennessy Was the baby vaccinated?

Mickaela Bakker Yes

Sue Rope Ne Hennessy Cheers

Mickaela Bakker “The family diligently complied with the Australian vaccination schedule”

Tenielle Styles I read on a different post that Riley was only 32 days old and couldn’t be vaccinated

Sue Rope Ne Hennessy Tenielle Styles thats what I thought.. where does it say the wee baby was vaccinated. Web need to get this right..

Debra May Sue Rope Ne Hennessy he wasn’t yet vaccinated with dtap, but had obviously had his hep b at birth

Sue Rope Ne Hennessy Debra May Yes just trying to work out the whooping cough .. did his mum have the vax when pregnant.. I am trying to share all truthful correct info (We have to be right), and sure I get it wrong, but if we are going to tell our stories and fight to have free choice to vaccinate of not vaccinate we need to try to get it right.. as they the pro vaxxers and trolls.. etc sure chuck enough crap at us..

Pearl Giles Written by mediahoes …paid by pharma

Sumukhi Dasi Not again. Millions of babies and infants have died from vaccine induced injuries since this one little boy in a million. I don’t feel one bit more sorry for her karma than any of the millions who have lost their babies to this new age scientism religion. One child amongst millions of children is a fair sacrifice for the herd according to them, he’s the only one they have, they should stop vaccinating all babies and infants on this principle alone, that they use all the time against every vax injured or vaxxed dead child.

Ruth Zarganis Its so simple. Those people have had the whooping cough vaccine shed the virus even though they don’t feel the symptoms they are highly contagious. Not knowing this is KILLING babies. RIP little one

Acacia Smith The mother of this child is pushing for the whole cell vaccine to come back and replace the acellular version. She knows the acellular is useless but is now on the warpath. She doesn’t care if, again, babies and children are maimed and killed by the whole cell vaccine. She has a misguided sense of justice. Very sad.

Stephanie Mormanis One story regurgitated over and over. Surely they realise it’s no longer news and pure fear mongering.

Pene Peabutton If only this mother realized the vaccines he received at birth affected his immune system and poor lil Riley wasnt strong enough becos of the vaccinations

Sumukhi Dasi Every day we hear stories like this one, that is totally ignored by the mainstream media. Why doesn’t selfish Rileys mum cry over this death and demand we stop giving babies the poisonous MMR vax?

Judy D’Attoma She’s not selfish.. she’s grieving and looking for someone to blame. Just because she’s uniformed doesn’t make her heartless

Sumukhi Dasi Of course she is selfish as she considers her grieving to be superior to those mothers grieving over their babies lost over pernicious vaccines.

Kym Haythorpe And poisoning it with toxic sludge would have helped?.

Erin Lee Cooper Apparently this was about 5 years ago, and the grandparents had just received the vaccine.

“Janey Jane” is former AVN committee member, Jane Beeby, of Maclean NSW, who has her own malevolent history of vilifying bereaved families:

Janey Jane Take your vaccinated at birth baby with cough to hospital and they finish the job of killing another baby with their drugs.

Katharine Clynes This baby was vaccinated, the vaccine took her baby’s life, would you not then be anti vax.

Gavin McRae Just goes to show they dont work, what a joke, they made out in the add, that the baby was un-immunised too, lairs, corruption at its best.

Katharine Clynes Unfortunately the brainwashing goes deep.

Gavin McRae Just goes to show Vaccines dont work, this baby was vaccinated, and it still dint work & the baby is dead, so yeah, how good was the vaccines? What a joke, they made out in the add that the baby was un-immunised too, Liars. Corruption at its best

Cynthia Maurer featured in 2015 for posting an antivax comment on the Light for Riley page the day after it started:

Cynthia Maurer Well, if his mother had stopped believing in vaccines, her own included, this child would have had a much better chance at survival.

William Hannah spin and lies to try to deceive folks…

Benny Freeman Propaganda machine

Richard Browne Vaccine industry Fiction News,

Bernadette Church 2 YEAR OLD NEWS!! Doesn’t get easier for the family but stop the BS Channel 9!!

Anne-Marie Koelewyn So sad… And as the article states the mother was totally pro vaccine.. Immunised during pregnancy, baby fully immunised…… Vaccines don’t work………………

Heather Bruce Informed choice is needed.
What about the kids who die because they were vaccinated?
Listen to these doctors . .

Will Irwin They had to dig back to 2005 to find a fatality, and the child was vaccinated! The story is farcical. My favorite part was showing a random guy coughing on a park bench. [edit: the article originally contained the typo “2005” instead of 2015, the year of Riley’s death]

Carla Graham It’s painful to see the completely uninformed comments even after all the information is posted. These guys obviously know everything there is to know so don’t need to read the data. Sigh…..

Joseph Sikora false , whooping cough does not kill , crippliong from chemical poisoning kills

Marguerite McCartney Anne is right. The vaccine given during pregnancy is probably why the baby got it and died. Vaccines are deadly.

Mel Huikeshoven The mother didn’t get the vaccine during pregnancy. She’s the one who campaigned for the maternal vaccination after her baby died.

Anne-Marie Koelewyn So you know her personally then Mel? No record of this………….. And to state a sad fact… Children do die from diseases…. Many more die and are injured through vaccines

Bec Holden First check to see if the parents Have Bird’s because Psittacosis has the same symptoms as whooping cough !!!

Yarri Nungunkari So the baby already had a few vaccines since birth that weakened it’s immunity immediately.

The anti-vaccination movement has shown that it will keep vilifying bereaved families, just like Sandy Hook hoaxers still target the families of murdered schoolchildren and teachers.

We will continue to expose them, so you can warn your families and friends of the reality of the anti-vaccination movement.

For an accurate, extensively referenced article which busts several anti-vaccination myths surrounding whooping cough infection and immunisation, see:  Whooping Cough: Why are we having outbreaks?  

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