Madison, NY – After Aften Ford, her husband and children recovered from Covid-19 in November, they thought they would have left the virus behind forever.
But the virus did not give up. Her youngest son, Kaison, 4, had a fever in late December, but doctors initially believed it was a separate virus or throat infection.
After several visits by the pediatrician and the hospital emergency, little Kaison was diagnosed with a rare Covid complication, known as multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C. Kaison had many of the symptoms of this disease – high fever, red eyes, chapped lips, skin rash and stomach problems.
On January 2, Kaison was admitted to the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital with the syndrome. Her parents were concerned that her symptoms seemed to multiply and get worse.
“It was beyond scary,” said his mother. “It didn’t come all at once – it was progressive. It all started with a headache, then his face got blotchy, then his eyes went disturbingly red. He had bright red lips, cracked and sore, his tongue swollen and a little rash on his skin. “
After five days in the hospital and many prayers, Kaison is back at his home in the village of Madison with his parents and two older brothers. He left the hospital Wednesday night.
He feels much better, but he is not himself yet, said his mother. He still has a long way to go to return to his typical pre-school childish style, she said.
Aften and Cody Ford are sharing their son’s story to let people know that, although it is relatively rare, this Covid-related syndrome can affect children. She said she hopes Kaison’s story will help parents and pediatricians to recognize symptoms and act quickly.
“We want parents to take Covid seriously and realize that this can happen. It is important to detect this early so that it can be treated, ”said Aften, a sixth grade teacher in the Clinton school district.
At the beginning of the pandemic, doctors did not think the coronavirus had much impact on children. But then, in April, doctors started reporting a small but growing number of cases of children affected with a new multisystemic inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 (MIS-C), according to a report by the Yale School of Medicine .
The hallmark of MIS-C is the inflammation spread in various organ systems. If left untreated, this inflammation can cause organ damage in the long run. That is why it is critical that children with MIS-C receive immediate medical treatment, according to the Yale report.
Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse has treated 12 cases of the syndrome since the beginning of the pandemic, said Kathleen Froio, a hospital spokeswoman.
Kaison started with a headache and low fever. Your pediatrician thought it could be an ear infection or strep. When the fever persisted, his mother took him back to the doctor and then to the emergency room at Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton. When the blood test showed high inflammation, they were told to go to Upstate.
Initially, doctors thought he had Kawasaki disease, which causes inflammation throughout the body. But when they started treatment, doctors saw signs of pneumonia in Kaison’s lungs, which Aften said she was told was a sign of MIS-C. At that point, doctors performed a blood test, which showed that Kaison had Covid antibodies. That sealed the diagnosis, said Aften.
Doctors gave Kaison steroids, Aften said, and warned that each person reacts differently to treatment. If steroids did not help, he may have to go to the intensive care unit. He also needed supplemental oxygen because his levels were low, said Aften.
“It was all so overwhelming and distressing to know what could have happened,” she said.
Within 24 hours, Kaison began to respond to the steroids he received, his mother said. As he constantly improved, doctors started talking about discharging him earlier than expected.
Kaison Ford, 4, of Madison, in the hospital, while recently battling a Covid-related syndrome that strikes children.Photo provided
“We were very nervous about your coming home, ” said Aften. “We were happy that he was better, but worried because he had been very sick.
“We didn’t sleep much the first night,” he was back, she said.
Kaison looks and feels much better, but he is a little grumpy about the medication, his mother said. He plays, but needs to be reminded to take it easy so he doesn’t get tired.
“He’s not himself yet,” said his mother.
In the coming months, Kaison will have to consult with many specialists, including a cardiologist and an infectious doctor to ensure he does not have permanent organ damage.
Aften said the whole experience was exhausting. She and her husband were sick with Covid’s symptoms around Thanksgiving, but their children, aged 3, 4 and 7, had minor upper respiratory symptoms. They hoped their ordeal was over.
Aften said he thinks he could have contracted Covid in November from an infected student.
“We were skeptical before that and we believed that we should put all the kids back in school, ” she said. “But now we feel different.
“We don’t want that to happen to other children – or to other children, ” she said. “We want parents to know the signs. It’s very progressive – it doesn’t get it right. Therefore, it can be difficult to diagnose. “
In almost all known cases, children with MIS-C had a fever of 100.4 ° F or more for at least 24 hours, and most also have low blood pressure, according to the Yale report. Other symptoms associated with MIS-C may include, but are not limited to:
- Diarrhea, vomiting or stomach pain
- Rash
- Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart)
- Conjunctivitis (red eyes)
- Swollen hands or feet
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- Breathing problems
- Cracked red lips
- Red tongue swollen with lumps that resemble a strawberry (known as a “strawberry tongue”)
- Fainting
- Confusion
- Cough
Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Have a tip, comment or idea for a story? Contact her anytime at 315-470-3012 or email [email protected]
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