Microbe Patrick’s Letter to Kids Everywhere

Hey, all you kids out there! I would like to say hi to you and introduce myself. We have been friends for a long time, but you probably don’t know me yet. My name is Patrick and I live inside a human body. Really! Right inside a body like yours, in the intestines that are in the tummy.

Does it surprise you to learn that there is someone else living inside of you? Yes, I was also quite surprised when my mother told me that we microbes live in the body of a big animal called a human. I’m not the only one here either, there’s a whole bunch of us. But don’t worry! We’re your friends. We’re called microbes, and we are so tiny that human eyes can’t even see us.

Your body is our home. We live in your belly just as you live on planet Earth. You take care of the Earth — you farm it, you plant trees, you care for the animals — and the Earth gives you back fruit and lots more. It is the same with us microbes — if you take good care of us, we can help you stay strong and healthy, and see that you feel good. But we can only help you when we are healthy. And we must rely on you for that. Unfortunately, sometimes you forget about us, ignoring our basic needs. That’s what happened to me. So I’ll tell you my story.

I was born in the body of a little girl named Clare. I was just a little microbe and I knew almost nothing. But when I grew a little older, I learned how to be a good intestinal microbe. Along with many of the others, I was tasked…