4-year-old Mia Wilkinson became seriously ill from a healthy girl within 48 hours.
It started when the flu ended when Mia amputated his arms under his elbows and his legs under his knees.
Mia's mom Amy can only describe her experience as a "nightmare."
She thought, "Oh, the flu, it's like a common cold." I didn't expect that to lead to such a tragedy, "she told news.com.au.
Mia is now a busy and intelligent 9 year old and will soon start Little Athletics with her prosthesis running blade.
But her journey has never been easier and she will continue to need surgery for years to come.
The Wilkinsons encourage children to be vaccinated and want to raise awareness of sepsis, a complication of life-threatening infections, so other families need to have the same experience. there is no.
At the time of infection, Mia was not vaccinated. Currently, her entire family is vaccinated against the flu every year.
Australian Nursing and Midwife Chief Officer Alison MacMillan said that children under the age of five are particularly vulnerable to the flu and have low levels of the virus that has been prevalent in recent years. He said it is likely that he has little innate immunity this year.
"These complications are rare, but people don't always understand that they do happen and have serious consequences," Professor McMillan told news.com.au.
The Wilkinson family's "nightmare"
One Friday in 2017, Mia Wilkinson had a good morning playing with her cousins.
That afternoon she complained of her stomach ache and vomited at dinner.
On Saturday morning, the GP diagnosed a 5-year-old child as gastrointestinal, but by the afternoon she was inconsistent with her and lost her sense of direction.
Mia's parents, Peter and Amy, rushed her to the hospital. It was at this time that she first started complaining of pain in her legs.
"Before Mia went to the hospital, we had never been to the hospital and had a daughter two years older," said Mrs. Wilkinson.
Mia was diagnosed with influenza B and viral myositis (weakness and pain), and she went home and rested.
By Sunday afternoon, Mia had a faint purple rash on her leg and she returned to the hospital – she was in the pediatric intensive care unit this time.
She was suffering from sepsis.
Professor McMillan explains:
She said, "Sepsis can be fatal or have a serious impact on a child's health."
When Mia's limbs darken, her terrible night It turned into a terrible morning.
Her blood pressure was very low and she needed medicine to help her brain and important organs, but her blood flow to her arms and legs was significantly reduced.
After 6 days of life support, Mia breathes herself At the beginning, she was awakened.
She survived, but that was just the beginning of her long and difficult recovery.
Over time, the degree of damage to her hands and feet became more pronounced, and more of her limbs became black.
About a week later, Mia amputated her arm under her elbow, and about two months later her leg amputated under her knee.
Concerns about infants this flu season
Peter and Amy Wilkinson vaccinate their parents on their children for rare but possible complications I advise you to be careful. Common illnesses such as influenza.
They also want their parents to know what to look for in sepsis and be confident in discussing the possibility of sepsis with the doctor treating their child.
"The majority of Australians have never heard of sepsis and don't know what to look for. We had never heard of it," Mrs. Wilkinson said.
"Any infectious disease, whether viral like influenza or bacterial like UTI (urinary tract infection), causes sepsis and seriously ill children.
Professor McMillan said that this year children under the age of five are vulnerable because many children did not develop natural immunity during the pandemic. He said he was concerned.
She was also worried about "vaccine malaise."
"We know how important it is to prevent the flu from this serious illness, so we want more children under the age of 5 to be vaccinated against the flu." She said.
Professor McMillan states that there is "a lot of false information" about the flu vaccine and uses reliable sources such as the government's {102 if there are concerns about Australians. If so, I asked you to consult a trusted medical professional. } Health Direct website
In addition to being vaccinated, Australians are reminded of basic health measures such as washing their hands and staying at home if sick.