a time in american history -- ...so it never repeats itself. so it never repeats itself. it was a harrowing time. a heart-wrenching time. i could hear my mother warn me, "cile, don't go ouand play!"

my family was ravaged. thousands and thousands died. i was scared. so scared. and then one day -- then one day -- and then one day there was hope. before vaccines, there were few ways to help protect against deadly illnesses. diseases like measles -- meningitis -- diphtheria -- hib -- whooping cough -- or polio, which killed my grandma's youngest son. without vaccines, these threats can re-emerge. i'm here -- i'm here -- i'm here to tell my children to help protect their children. get your kids vaccinated and keep them on schedule. i never want my grandchildren to see what i saw.

st everywhere from zanzibar to barkley square... but patty's only seen the sights a girl can see from brooklyn heights...♪ doctor kessler: what do we have here... patty: oh, we're identical cousins... doctor kessler: but that's genetically not possible... cathy: oh, yes it is... dr. welby told us it's quite rare, but it does happen. doctor kessler: well, dr. welby is a great doctor but... patty: you take medicare don't you...? doctor kessler: oh, sure... cathy: ...and you probably have a lot of patients who are ready to go on medicare, yes? doctor kessler: yes... patty: you know you could tell them that if they're 65, they can go to socialsecurity.gov

and apply for medicare online. cathy: it takes less time than sitting in a doctor's office... sorry...it's, uh, it's less than 10 minutes... sometimes 5 or 6. it's quite easy! doctor kessler: you're really identical... and dr. welby really said... ♪...when cousins are two of a kind.♪

i'm jeff gordon, warning parents about pertussis. what's that? well, imagine a cough barreling through your infant's body at up to 100 miles per hour. with enough force to make him gasp for air. again and again. for weeks, even months. pertussis, or whooping cough, is potentially fatal. now imagine you gave this to your baby. parents most often spread pertussis. and even when babies themselves are vaccinated, they're probably not protected till they've had at least three doses.

i'm working with march of dimes to urge you to help protect your baby by protecting yourself. ask your health-care provider about the adult pertussis vaccine. now. cause we can't stop pertussis fast enough. you can do something extraordinary. join your neighbors and the american red cross and help save the day when the next disaster strikes, when a neighbor's house burns down, if someone needs lifesaving blood or the comfort of a helping hand. hope. support the american red cross and help save the day. visit redcross.org.