1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

I was in middle school when the Columbine Shootings took place. When I was a Pediatric Resident at NYU when Sandy Hook took place and would later serve that area in my first job as a pediatric endocrinologist. I am currently in Florida with family and had to text my cousin, a recent FSU grad and Tallahassee resident, as her partner is still there. As a mom and pediatrician, I am always saddened by the fact that the number one cause of death in children is firearms. Something that is completely preventable. We have an HHS Secretary talking about how autism tears families apart and actively dismantling faith in vaccines, so perhaps infectious disease will pass firearms. I will tell you that death of a child will tear families apart. Have you ever had to call a family and tell them that you were worried that their child might not make the night, hear the wails of a mother as life support is withdrawn, or watch a child gasp for breath as they battle pertussis? The sound of pertussis (whooping cough) is a sound that still haunts me. I have and am grateful for my ICU, hospitalists, and EM colleagues who are still frontline. We need to fight for preventable causes of death in children, including smart gun laws and access to vaccines. A bonus would be to get RFK, Jr., a man with no medical experience out of the HHS as I am afraid his flat out lies will have devastating consequences for years to come.