This story haunts me as my son spent 10 days in the hospital fighting this very virus….
It’s the cold season once again and many of us can kick the germs, but for young kids, it can be much harder.
A mother’s two-month-old daughter had something that looked like a cold but was much worse.
It’s called Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV and the problem with the virus is it can mimic the symptoms of a common cold, something Katie Herman of Rochester is learning the hard way.
“They had swabbed her for RSV at a walk-in clinic and told me that that was negative,” said Katie.
Two-month-old Farrah Herman continued to get worse and eventually, Katie took her to the emergency room.
“They also had told me that it was just bronchiolitis. It was going to get worse before it gets better and to just kind of keep an eye on her,” Katie said.
Her motherly instincts told her something was seriously wrong. That same night, after being sent home from the ER, Katie posted a video of Farrah’s breathing to a moms group on Facebook asking for a second opinion.
The response was overwhelming.”Tons of comments saying call 911 get her to the emergency room now. I took her in again and they checked her again told me the same thing in the ER and then just to watch her,” said Katie.
The next day Farrah drank one ounce of milk and had one diaper change. Again, Katie brought her to the ER.
This time it was a lot worse.
“Rushed her up to the ICU and then she’s been intubated and on life support,” said Katie.
Farrah was diagnosed with an aggressive form of RSV and pneumonia and she is in a medically induced coma.
RSV causes infections of the lungs and respiratory tract and symptoms are very much like the common cold.
Infants are most severely affected by RSV and a way to detect it is if your child’s chest muscles and skin pull inward with each breath.
Katie’s Facebook video of Farrah caught the eye of Taylor Martin as it looked like what her son was dealing with.
“He was coughing, sneezing, had a runny nose and sounded a little congested. My son’s breathing looked exactly the same as her daughters,” said Taylor.
Her son Jaxton was also admitted and diagnosed with RSV and is now being cared for at Saint Marys Hospital.
As for Farrah, she’s still fighting.”Watching the team has to come in and resuscitate her so many times, I was honestly feeling like I might go home without my daughter,” Katie said.
She recommends that other moms to get help if they feel something is not right.
“Just hoping for the best for her, so just trying to stay strong,” smiled Katie.
Katie said that Farrah is now very susceptible to having asthma and lung problems for the rest of her life.
Mayo Clinic’s website says there is no vaccine for RSV, but there is a medication called palivizumab (Synagis). Synagis can help certain children who are at high risk of serious complications of RSV.
Farrah’s go fund me page is here if you’d like to help the family.