West Texas Timmons family recovered as U.S. measles outbreak nears 2,000 cases

The Timmons family of West Texas, some of the first to fall sick in last spring’s outbreak, saw five members hospitalized as the measles outbreak in the United States entered its 11th month with almost 2,000 cases. Family members, including Kiley Timmons, endured severe symptoms—coughing fits, body aches, chest pains, nausea and fevers of 105—followed by lengthy “healing” with rashes, fatigue and brain fog before making a full recovery.

Four unvaccinated children from the family were treated in a Lubbock hospital during the same week, while Carrollyn Timmons, who was vaccinated as a child, stayed healthy. The family has returned to school and church; Carrollyn said, “It’s been a pretty happy ending to a very scary story.” The family often sees Ben Edwards, a prominent vaccine skeptic who, the outlet said, aligned himself during the outbreak with Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.

Edwards treated hundreds of children with cod liver oil and vitamin A at a makeshift clinic over the last year, the report said, and was recently honored by the anti-vaccine advocacy group Children’s Health Defense as its Defender of the Year. The outbreak began in a Mennonite community outside Lubbock and has spread across the country, producing almost 2,000 cases and three deaths this year.

Key Topics

Health, Timmons Family, Measles, Lubbock, Mennonite Community, Ben Edwards