I watched my baby boy die in my arms after he caught a common virus – here are the 11 signs every parent must know
All seemed well when little Hudson Oliver Roebuck was born in late June.
But the newborn fell ill just days after he was allowed to go home with his parents to their Stockport home.
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Much to the sorrow of Georgia and Paul, little Hudson passed away in his mother’s arms on August 4 at just five weeks old after falling victim to a widespread virus.
The little one returned to the hospital just days after settling in with his parents after being unwell and suspected of developing jaundice.
When his health deteriorated two days later, doctors rushed him to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma for nine days.
The newborn suffered three hemorrhages during this time.
As baby Hudson’s condition continued to deteriorate, he developed an immunodeficiency disorder that left him unable to fight off the enterovirus.
Enteroviruses are a group of common viruses that usually only cause mild illness, mostly in infants, children and adolescents.
However, newborns are at greater risk of serious complications and even death due to their immature immune systems.
Mother Georgia, 27, shared Manchester evening news : “It was just so painful. It’s a pain I’ll never forget.”
“It turned our lives upside down. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“We spent some time with him when they took out the tubes and he died in our arms.”
She said little Hudson fought hard to stay alive.
“We call him a warrior because he’s just awesome [hospital staff] said that to us,” added Georgia.
“You have to be really proud of him because he didn’t give up.
“I kept saying, ‘You don’t have to keep fighting for mom. When you’re ready, just go’.”
Georgia already has a son and a daughter, and Saul also has a daughter — but Hudson was their first child together.
“I’m a mom again and I’m trying to move on, but it’s going to take time,” she said.
“He touched so many lives.”
A Fundraiser in support of Saul and Georgia Hudson’s funeral expenses have raised more than £4,000.
What are the signs of an enterovirus?
Most people who are infected with an enterovirus have no or only mild flu-like symptoms that go away after a few days.
Accordingly Cedars Sinai Hospital stay, the following symptoms may occur:
- Fever
- Sore muscles
- sore throat
- runny nose
- sneeze
- Cough
- difficulty breathing
- nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Red sores in the mouth and on the palms and soles of the feet (hand, foot and mouth disease)
- red rash over large areas of the body
Some enteroviruses — like polio — can be more serious and cause more serious illness.
Polio vaccination is part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule in the UK, so most people are protected from the disease.
Some types of enteroviruses can cause inflammation of the tissues covering the brain and spinal cord – leading to meningitis – while enterovirus 68 can cause severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, in some children.
How can I protect my child from enteroviruses?
Enteroviruses can spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs droplets into the air or onto surfaces.
A child can then breathe in droplets or touch a contaminated surface and put their fingers to their eyes, mouth or nose.
Some of the viruses can be spread through contact with infected feces.
This can happen when children don’t wash their hands or wash them properly.
The best way to protect your little ones from illness is to teach them to wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet and before eating.
It is also important to wash your hands regularly.