Clang Santamaria, a mother, shared on Facebook her son's battle with Kawasaki disease. Her son eventually made a full recovery from this potentially fatal illness. Below is a recounting of her ordeal, plus a few things you need to know about the disease.
Kawasaki disease is a rare childhood illness that affects the blood vessels. It's most common among the ages of 1 to 12 years, and for moms and dads who aren't aware of this condition, it can be a very scary ordeal.
She and her husband cried when their son was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease
"Hindi nakakahawa. Hindi dahil sa kagat ng lamok. Hindi rin airborne disease. UNKNOWN ang cause." This was how Clang Santamaria described Kawasaki disease on her Facebook post.
According to her, she first noticed that something was wrong with her son Kendrix when he had a very high fever (39 degrees) on the morning of December 16. She shared that she thought that her son had the flu since it can be common during the holiday season.
She gave her son some flu medicine, and let him rest for the day.
On December 18th, her son was still sick, and he was unable to attend their exchange gift party in school. She shared that he still had a high fever and that he vomited thrice in the morning.
Kawasaki Disease is treatable if found early
If left untreated, Kawasi Disease can be deadly since it harms a child's arteries. However, if it's treated early, then the chances of survival are extremely high, and most children who are diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease recover without any long-term harm.
Here are a few important symptoms for moms and dads to be aware of:
- A fever that lasts for at least five days
- Red eyes
- Rashes throughout the body
- Swollen, red, cracked lips, and tongue
- Swollen, red feet and hands
- Swollen lymph nodes
As soon as you think that your little one might have Kawasaki Disease, it's important to take them to the doctor as soon as possible in order to get a diagnosis. Early detection can potentially save your child from this terrible illness.
Source: facebook.com
READ: Mom shares son’s battle with Kawasaki Disease to warn parents