The Texas parents whose daughter became the first measles-related death in the U.S. in a decade have given a troubling interview, making several unverified health claims. The couple argued that measles “is good for the body” and urged parents to avoid the MMR vaccine, which reduces the risk of contracting measles by 97%. The parents, members of a Mennonite community in West Texas, spoke with Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., earlier this week.
All five of their children contracted measles several weeks earlier, as the highly contagious virus swept through Texas and neighboring New Mexico, infecting over 300 people—more than the total U.S. cases in all of 2024.
While four of their children experienced mild symptoms, their six-year-old daughter, Kaylee, succumbed to the disease after a three-week struggle.
Like many in their community, all of the children were unvaccinated.
Though the parents grew emotional discussing their daughter’s death, they claimed it was simply Kaylee’s “time on Earth” and urged others to forgo the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, instead promoting alternative remedies such as cod liver oil and vitamin C.
![The parents of six-year-old Kaylee, who died of measles last month, urged parents to not get their children the MMR vaccine and insisted measles is 'not as bad as [the media] are making it out to be.' The couple are pictured above in a screenshot from their interview with RFK Jr-founded Children's Health Defense](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/03/20/20/96408043-14520859-image-a-1_1742500885529.jpg)
The image above is a stock photo of a child in Texas infected with measles.
Speaking in a dialect of German through a translator, Kaylee’s mother urged parents to avoid vaccinations, stating, “Don’t do the shots. There are doctors who can help with measles. They’re not as bad as [the media] are making it out to be.”
Kaylee’s father, who identified himself as Peter in a previous interview, echoed these sentiments, claiming that “measles are good for the body” and can strengthen the immune system against other diseases—a theory promoted by RFK Jr.
Their translator added, “They believe it’s not as bad as the media portrays, and that it was [Kaylee’s] time on Earth.”
“They feel she’s better off where she is now, away from all the negativity and chaos in the world. They believe she was too good for this Earth.”
Peter and his wife, whose name has not been disclosed, said Kaylee was the first of their children to contract measles.
Speaking with Children’s Health Defense, the family shared that Kaylee initially appeared to have a “normal” case of the illness.
However, her condition worsened in the following days as she developed a high fever, fatigue, and breathing difficulties.
Her mother recalled that emergency room doctors prescribed cough medicine and recommended Tylenol for her fever.
“They just put us in a room in the back,” she said.
Kaylee was diagnosed with pneumonia, a common complication of severe measles cases. She was later placed on a ventilator but did not survive.
Just days after Kaylee’s funeral, the couple and their remaining children, ages two to seven, also fell ill with measles.
“It was hard,” her mother said.
The image above shows Seminole, a town in western Texas where the outbreak was first reported. Located in Gaines County, Seminole has recorded the majority of cases.
After Kaylee’s passing, the family took their other children to Dr. Ben Edwards, a member of the Mennonite community who runs Veritas Wellness, a holistic clinic in Lubbock, Texas.
The clinic is reportedly known for distributing unproven measles treatments, including cod liver oil and vitamin C, though it remains unclear what specific remedies were given to Kaylee’s family.
Her mother stated, “He gave them treatments and medicine, and they had a really good recovery.”
Kaylee’s family is from Seminole, the epicenter of this year’s measles outbreak. Of the 279 confirmed cases in Texas, 191 have occurred in Gaines County, where Seminole is located.
The area’s vaccination rate stands at 82%, significantly below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity. Nationally, the average vaccination rate was 93% last school year.
In a previous interview, Peter stated that measles is common in their community. While their religious beliefs do not prohibit vaccines, many, including him, remain skeptical of their effectiveness.
The MMR vaccine is considered 97% effective against measles.
Without vaccination, measles kills approximately one in 1,000 infected individuals due to complications such as pneumonia or brain swelling.
Last month, the CDC reiterated in a statement: “Vaccination remains the best defense against measles infection.”
Despite their daughter’s death, Kaylee’s parents remain opposed to the MMR vaccine.
Her mother firmly stated, “Absolutely not take the MMR [vaccine]. The measles wasn’t that bad. [The other children] got over it pretty quickly. And Dr. Edwards was there for us.”
