CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — Shanisty Ireland sits in a patient room at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, holding her 2-month-old son, Asa.
“Our older kids brought home something from school,” she said. “Just a virus. A cough.”
It was a common cold that she knew could be dangerous for her infant.
In January of 2020, Ireland talked with 10TV about her experience and raised awareness about RSV, a common respiratory virus that, in little lungs, can be deadly. Her son, Adam, when he was 6 weeks old had RSV. Not recognizing the symptoms, then, she says by the time they got to the hospital Adam’s health was “touch-and-go.”
He has since recovered.
That brings us back to now, the common cold and last Sunday night.
“He just declined super rapidly,” Ireland said of her son, Asa.
She noticed Asa was belly breathing and he had a “V” in his neck, which are telltale signs for respiratory distress. Immediately, she took him to the ER at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
“He did test positive for bronchiolitis,” she said. “The doctors did tell me it’s probably RSV, as well. They’re so similar.”
According to the American Association for Respiratory Care, respiratory illnesses like RSV are highly contagious viruses that can cause severe respiratory infections. It is also the leading cause of hospitalizations for babies less than 1 year old.
“You may not be able to control if your child gets sick, but you absolutely can control the actions you take,” Ireland said.
Ireland says being in this situation before she felt shame and guilt thinking she could have done something different or better.
And, maybe she did.
She recognized the symptoms and got her son to the hospital.
“It’s better to advocate for your child’s health and well-being than to sit and wait and just keep thinking well, maybe tomorrow they’ll get better,” she said.
A word of warning from someone who has now lived the experience twice.
“It’s not to scare parents, but it’s just really to make them aware that it’s not just flu, cold and Covid season,” she said. “It’s cold, flu, Covid and RSV, as well.”
Ireland says she hopes to be able to take Asa home, Thursday morning.