I’m at the hospital when I get the call. It’s a Thursday morning, not even 24 hours since my C-section. I’m watching my newborn son nap in his bassinet and trying to enjoy my first meal since surgery.

The caller ID says CHKD Children’s Hospital, so I answer. My 16-month-old daughter was just released from that hospital earlier in the week following a severe bacterial infection that caused her lymph nodes to swell an extraordinary amount.

“Hello?” I say, worried that they uncovered something concerning in her bloodwork.

“Hello, I’m a paediatrician at Norfolk Children’s Hospital. I’m calling to check on Camille, and to let you know that she may have been exposed to the measles during her stay with us.”

My heart dropped, and the post-surgery nausea that had nearly subsided suddenly return

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