Hospital Saves 2-Year-Old's Life from Mystery Illness, Forced To Amputate Both Arms & Legs
An Indiana family is thanking a local hospital for saving the life of their 2-year-old son after a mysterious illness manifested inside the boy’s body.
It was late September when little Jeremiah played at the park with his siblings, running and climbing and soaking up the sun.
His parents, Ashley Cox and Nick Thompson, smile as they remember the last day their son got to play with all four of his limbs intact.
The following day was a whirlwind of events when Jeremiah’s health took a sudden and drastic turn for the worse.
The toddler came down with a fever and began to throw up. Concerned, his parents took him to Riley Children’s Hospital, where doctors rushed to save Jeremiah’s life.
Ashley and Nick watched as dark purple spots began to cover Jeremiah’s body in a matter of minutes. His arms turned a deep purple, leaving Ashley and Nicholas fearful for their son’s life.
Doctors told Jeremiah’s parents their son had a bacterial infection called Purpura. While the precise cause of the infection is still uncertain, doctors needed to act fast to save the boy’s life.
“It’s kind of like blood vessels that’s (sic) ruptured really, in the body,” Nick Thompson told WXIN-TV.
Doctors gave Jeremiah a dose of antibiotics which killed the illness, but all four of Jeremiah’s limbs needed to be amputated in order for the boy to live.
Ashley and Nick are aching over their son’s loss, but are feeling grateful that Jeremiah is still alive.
“If they didn’t give it (the antibiotic) to him my boy wouldn’t be here,” Ashley said, “So, Riley really saved our son.”
Ashley was 39 weeks pregnant when Jeremiah was hospitalized, and now, is understandably struggling to adequately care for a newborn, her two older children and her hospitalized son.
Ashley is still on maternity leave from her job, and her family is living off of Nick’s income. The family has a GoFundMe account set up on behalf of Jeremiah to try and provide some financial relief during a stressful time.
“Yes, this is going to be a very long stressful time in our life, but we have our son, and I’m thankful every day,” Nick said.
Jeremiah is still hospitalized, and his family is eagerly waiting for the day that their boy is strong enough to return home.
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