On December 24, 2003, 5½-month-old Marques Jackson, Jr. came down with a fever and a runny nose – symptoms of what his family thought was just a common cold. After a visit to the doctor, it was determined that Marques had influenza. Over the next 24 hours, the severity of his symptoms progressed. Marques began having trouble breathing so his parents called 911. As Marques was being rushed to the hospital he suffered from several small strokes. Marques died in the hospital from complications of influenza on December 28, 2003, just four days after his first symptom appeared. Because of his young age Marques could not get vaccinated against the flu.

This tragedy has made Marques’ mother and grandfather crusaders for yearly influenza vaccinations. Today, every adult and child in their family gets vaccinated against the flu.