The Measles-Stricken Mother Who Lost Her Newborn Son The Amish man emerged from his barn to greet me, unaware that his newborn son’s death had become national news. He wore a straw hat, black trousers, and suspenders over a long-sleeved blue shirt, while one of his similarly dressed sons guided a horse-drawn plow nearby. Like most Amish people, he and his family did not watch TV, use the internet, or read newspapers. They learned about the measles outbreak and the governor’s press conference only when I told them. Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro, had announced the first two “measles-associated” deaths in the state in 35 years, both from Lancaster County, home to the largest Amish community. The deaths sparked political accusations, with Shapiro’s opponents claiming he used the tragedy for political gain. The county’s coroner later revealed an autopsy had been performed on an infant who tested positive for measles, though the cause of death was listed as a ruptured spleen. This detail fueled confusion, leading Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of health and human services, to mock Shapiro’s press conference as an example of “the weaponization of infectious disease fears for political gain.” Kennedy also suggested the deaths may have been fabricated by one of Shapiro’s staffers, though no evidence was provided. The Amish man asked me not to reveal his family’s names or location to protect their privacy. His son, whose death had drawn widespread attention, remained unidentified. The circumstances of the death matched the case in the news, and when I described it to him, he said it sounded like his son. When I shared the family’s details with the Lancaster County coroner, Stephen Diamantoni, he stated the office was not investigating additional infant deaths in the area.#robert_f_kennedy_jr #lancaster_county #josh_shapiro #stephen_diamantoni #amish_community
