Maddox catches a cold…

It was December, and Maddox was just three months old, when he picked up a nasty cold. His parents took him to the doctor who diagnosed a slight chest infection and sent him home with antibiotics. As always with babies, the family were told to watch out for Maddox’s symptoms getting worse. Two days later this is exactly what happened. Maddox’s mum, Kirsty, recalls “When I went to give him his morning feed he struggled, and this is when I knew in my gut something was wrong”. His family kept a close eye on him and soon decided to book a taxi and take Maddox straight to Dumfries A&E.

They remember the next part like it was yesterday

Maddox was seen by a team of doctors and within 30 minutes was rushed to the children’s ward and placed on a ventilator. Unfortunately, Maddox could not cope with the mask. He was getting weaker by the hour. The doctors took the decision to sedate him, and Maddox was then taken ventilated to the intensive care unit. After a couple of days Maddox was not improving, and so he was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow.

Kirsty could travel in the ambulance with Maddox but his dad, Chris had to make his own way there by bus. The whole situation brought back memories of Maddox being rushed to Neonatal Intensive Care when he was born. The couple had to cope with these feelings on their own due to their separation during transit.

Maddox is diagnosed

Maddox was diagnosed with severe bronchiolitis caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV is a very common virus and almost all children are infected with it by the time they’re 2 years old. Most adults and older children just suffer with a cough or cold, but for some young children it causes bronchiolitis. For some, like Maddox, the results can be life threatening. Kirsty and Chris want to raise awareness of RSV, and hope that you find this information useful:

• Viruses are spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• Tiny droplets of liquid can be breathed in directly from the air or picked up from a surface they have landed on, such as a toy or table.
• For example, your child can become infected after touching a toy that has the virus on it and then touching their eyes, mouth or nose.
• RSV can survive on a surface for up to 24 hours.
• An infected child can remain infectious for up to 3 weeks, even after their symptoms have disappeared.

Kirsty told us “Christmas is supposed to be a happy time, especially with a new baby, but our Christmas feeling went away and we were filled with fear (of the unknown) and utter worry. He was sedated and ventilated for over a week”.

Ronald McDonald House Glasgow offers to help…

Without access to a car, the family faced a grueling six-hour return bus journey to visit Maddox in hospital. This could have been even more frustrating over the festive season with reduced bus services. Thankfully, the family were gifted a room at Ronald McDonald House Glasgow. An exhausting commute was dramatically reduced to a five-minute walk!

Kirsty explained that “Luckily, Maddox got transferred back to our local hospital on Christmas Eve and released home on Christmas Day … we celebrated Christmas the best that we could on Boxing Day. We just feel so blessed to have him in our lives, and after everything he has been through, he still smiles every day”.

Everyone here at the House is so happy to hear that Maddox is doing well. We love the photo of him enjoying his first birthday. It is a privilege to have been a part of his young journey. You can help Ronald McDonald House Glasgow to keep more families close to their seriously ill children by donating today.

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