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Home › Mom of the Month

Keri Russell

By Kelly Burgess

Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.

Keri Russell has been acting in television and movies since age 15 when she was a regular on New Mickey Mouse Club. Since then, Russell has appeared in a variety of productions, including her breakout role as the title character in the hit television series, Felicity. In her latest movie, August Rush, Russell plays a woman who is separated from her one, true love and then tricked into thinking her son died at birth.

But in real life, Russell is happily married to Shane Deary, and is the proud mother of 6-month-old River Russell Deary.

At first, as a new mom, she felt overwhelmed by all of the new medical information and suggestions for immunizations. What she learned gave her guidance not only for her child, but also for the importance of making sure the adults around her child were immunized. This revelation led her to become the national spokesperson for the Silence the Sounds of Pertussis campaign, which is sponsored by Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases (PKIDs, www.pkids.org).

A Felicitous Career

Russell was born in 1976 in Fountain Valley, Calif. Her mother was a homemaker, and, Russell says, definitely influenced her own mothering style.

"My mom was a stay-at-home mom, which is definitely different than my traveling, working lifestyle," Russell says. "That being said, I think you can't help but take things from your own experience of being mothered. I have to say I generally enjoy being a mother and even being pregnant and I think a lot of my positive, interested attitude comes from my mom. We were, and are still, very much at the center of her life and I'm sure I will be the same way – making cookies for class, Halloween costumes, etc."

Russell joined the cast of the New Mickey Mouse Club in 1991 and has worked steadily ever since, on stage and in television, movies and commercials. She won a Golden Globe in 1999 for her work on Felicity. Her most recent roles in August Rush and Waitress have brought her a good deal of critical acclaim, and she has several other films in the production stage.

Finding the Balance

Ironically, Russell played a pregnant woman in four movies in a row. Each time, the pregnancy was necessary to the story, although in real life she's been pregnant just the once. After giving birth to River, Russell came to realize that she couldn't do it all alone with her crazy schedule.

"It really is true, the whole expression, 'it takes a village to raise a child,'" Russell says. "I never knew how true until I became a mother. At the beginning I definitely tried to do it all myself, but now that I'm working more I really rely on help from friends, grandmothers, grandfathers, everyone! And, you know, it's great for River too to have a different perspective and influence. I like that he's interested in other people and doesn't mind being held by everyone. Because as much as I want him around me, other people present new ideas and thoughts that I might not."

At the same time, Russell says when she heard that pertussis, also known as whooping cough, was on the rise, she had a serious discussion about River's risks with her pediatrician.

"As a new mom you're inundated with all this new medical information and tips on how to keep your baby safe," Russell says. "I, like everyone, was researching everything. When I learned pertussis is on the rise and thousands of infants are infected each year, I asked my pediatrician how I can protect my baby. He recommended I make sure that everyone who comes in close contact with the baby is vaccinated against whooping cough until he is old enough to receive the shot."

And that, in a nutshell, Russell says, is what the Silence the Sounds of Pertussis campaign is all about: encouraging parents to talk to their pediatricians to learn more about what they can do to keep their families safe.

In Russell's case, she and husband, Shane, both received booster shots. This is one of the facts of immunizations that are just now being realized, that they do wear off and parents have to be hyper vigilant about checking the CDC's updated immunization guidelines every year to be sure they and their child – even if that child may be a preteen or teenager – has all the recommended booster vaccines.

"When you become a mom you would do anything to make sure your baby is safe," Russell says. "I think it's important for each family to talk to their pediatrician and make the decision that is best for them. My doctor supported our decision to get vaccinated and it was one small thing I could do to make sure River is safe and healthy."



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