During the cold and flu season, parents are used to seeing their little ones in a state of a perpetually running nose and perhaps even fighting an intermittent cough. But for parents of newborns and anyone else immunocompromised, it can be a nerve-wracking time of year.
One unnamed father decided to share his story on Imgur after nearly losing his infant daughter.
«I’m wanting to show you guys my little fighter. 3 weeks ago she was admitted to the hospital with viral meningitis. She got over that in a few days since it was a light case. Now she is fighting RSV. We almost lost her last Monday,» he wrote.
Her case was growing so severe, it was recommended that she be moved to another facility. «As soon as the pediatric team arrived at the hospital to pick her up, she flatlined. They revived her and put her on a ventilator immediately. Since then, she had been diagnosed with of course RSV, a severe case of pneumonia, type h flu, bronchialitis, and a partially collapsed right lung. Needless to say, it’s been a rough week for my little one.»
Respiratory syncytial virus is often indistinguishable from a typical cold, often clearing up in a week or two, notes the CDC. For infants and seniors, however, it can lead to more serious health problems, including bronchitis and pneumonia. It almost took the life of this young infant girl.
And yet, it doesn’t take much to prevent its spread. Simple steps such as covering one’s mouth when sneezing and hand washing can be enough to keep RSV from infecting others.
The father who shared his story notes how proud he is of his daughter, his «little fighter» who has endured so much at a young age. Although he didn’t say how exactly she caught the virus, he ends his post with a plea: «RSV is no joke. I didn’t know much about it until a week ago when it almost took my daughter from me. Please make sure to wash your hands before handling little ones.»
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