After one Indiana couple found out they were expecting their second child, they decided to make the most of their remaining months of one-on-one time with their 2-year-old son by enjoying plenty of family outings this summer.
Last month, Kayla Dunham, her husband, and their 2-year-old son Grayson had been spending their summer going out to eat at restaurants, going to the state fair, and visiting the petting zoo. However, all the fun stopped when Grayson woke up on the morning of Aug. 10 and began vomiting and having painful diarrhea.
At first, the concerned parents thought it was just a stomach bug, but when their pediatrician heard that Grayson was not doing any better from his last visit just days before, and now passing blood in his stool and having extreme stomach pain on top of the vomiting and diarrhea, he told them to go straight to the hospital.
At the hospital, doctors struggled to diagnose the problem, and told the parents that their little boy had the stomach flu, then they said he may be having issues with his intestines, and then they suspected a problem with his appendix before finally realizing he was suffering from HUS. “We were misdiagnosed five times before they said, yes this is HUS,” Kayle said.
HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, destroys red blood cells and clogs the kidneys and occurs after being infected by E. coli, which is often found in contaminated foods like unwashed fruits and vegetables, undercooked meats, and can even be spread by animals.
Less than a week after getting sick, Grayson died unexpectedly in the hospital. “It is a parent’s worst nightmare. He had never been sick… When you think of things happening, you think of severe illnesses like cancer or car accidents. You don’t think of E. coli,” the expecting mom said. “My heart is in shock I’m numb, and I don’t have words for what even happened. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
The family still has no idea if their little boy was exposed to E. coli at the petting zoo, at one of the restaurants they ate at, or if some of the produce Kayla bought at the market was contaminated, but they’re sharing their story to warn parents about how dangerous E. coli can be. “I am sharing my story with you all in hopes that as parents you stand up for your children and advocate for them. Never ever give up on them,” said Kayla, who is now planning on naming her daughter due in January ‘Graysie’.
Did you know E. coli was this serious? Let us know in the comments below, and please SHARE this with parents on Facebook to help spread Kayla’s message.
[Featured image: Facebook/Kayla Dunham]
2-Year-Old Tragically Dies After Being Misdiagnosed 5 Times is an article from: LifeDaily