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Dana Best

@danabest.bsky.social

130 followers 220 following 1 posts

Retired physician, full-time animal lover and gardener, training for the resistance.

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ex-Lethality Jane

@lethalityjane.bsky.social

The measles outbreak in Texas is reminding me of the public letter Roald Dahl wrote about losing his daughter to measles in 1962, just before the vaccine was publicly available.

Excerpt from a public letter Roald Dahl wrote encouraging people to vaccinate their children.

Olivia, my eldest daughter, caught measles when she was seven years old. As the illness took its usual course I can remember reading to her often in bed and not feeling particularly alarmed about it. Then one morning, when she was well on the road to recovery, I was sitting on her bed showing her how to fashion little animals out of coloured pipe-cleaners, and when it came to her turn to make one herself, I noticed that her fingers and her mind were not working together and she couldn’t do anything.

“Are you feeling all right?” I asked her.

“I feel all sleepy,” she said.

In an hour, she was unconscious. In twelve hours she was dead.

The measles had turned into a terrible thing called measles encephalitis and there was nothing the doctors could do to save her. That was twenty-four years ago in 1962, but even now, if a child with measles happens to develop the same deadly reaction from measles as Olivia did, there would still be nothing the doctors could do to help her.

On the other hand, there is today something that parents can do to make sure that this sort of tragedy does not happen to a child of theirs. They can insist that their child is immunized against measles. I was unable to do that for Olivia in 1962 because in those days a reliable measles vaccine had not been discovered. Today a good and safe vaccine is available to every family and all you have to do is to ask your doctor to administer it.

February 15, 2025 at 5:49 PM

Reposted by Dana Best

Tristan Snell

@tristansnell.bsky.social

The richest man on earth, Elon Musk

is trying to kill a department, USAID, that helps the poorest people on earth

Because USAID has been investigating Musk and his Starlink company — and their ties to Vladimir Putin and Russia

THAT is why Musk is attacking USAID

February 9, 2025 at 1:34 AM

Reposted by Dana Best

George Takei

@georgetakei.bsky.social

Perfectly captured.

February 3, 2025 at 2:48 AM

Reposted by Dana Best

Jim Acosta

@jimacosta.bsky.social

Really love this cartoon from the great Michael De Adder. The outpouring of support coming in has been truly amazing! Thanks everybody!

January 29, 2025 at 9:21 PM

Reposted by Dana Best

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘

@kojamf.bsky.social

January 27, 2025 at 4:47 PM

Reposted by Dana Best

Annie Andrews, MD

@drannieandrews.com

If RFK Jr. is confirmed. @donttreadonkids.bsky.social

January 13, 2025 at 1:27 AM

Reposted by Dana Best

Erin Antognoli

@antognoli.bsky.social

Stay tuned for September when I will be part of the Women Artists of the DMV exhibits. This multi-gallery event will feature a wonderful cross-section of area talent! Lenny wrote a thoughtful piece about my inclusion in the show that summarizes my relationship to my art.