"Our lives have been devastated. We struggle to get through each day without our precious Amanda. There is nothing more we can do for our daughter, but we feel it is our responsibility to raise awareness about the risks of the flu. If we can help prevent a single death and spare a single family from going through this, we will consider our efforts a success."
Alissa Kanowitz
Mother of Amanda, who died from influenza on March 1, 2004
About Our Organization
Families Fighting Flu (FFF) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) volunteer-based advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the lives of children. Our members include families whose children have suffered serious medical complications or died from influenza, as well as health care practitioners and advocates committed to flu prevention. In honor of our children, we work to increase awareness about the seriousness of the disease and to reduce the number of childhood hospitalizations and deaths caused by the flu each year by increasing vaccination rates.
Whether it is the difficulty of walking past a now-empty bedroom, or the sadness in never seeing a young niece or nephew celebrate another birthday, losing a loved one has left an incredible emptiness in our lives. This site is a way for individuals to realize that they are not alone in this fight against the flu and to channel their grief into helping to save others by encouraging annual flu vaccinations for all children 6 months and older and their families in the U.S.
The Story of Families Fighting Flu
Every year, children die in the U.S. from influenza and its complications. In fact, influenza kills nearly 100 American children under five years of age every year. These are unnecessary losses that impact not only us, but everyone in our community – including siblings, grandparents, and schoolmates.
The families and friends of these children have been left shocked and devastated. Looking for comfort and wanting to increase awareness about the importance of vaccinating children against the flu every year, we have united to form Families Fighting Flu.