An athletic seven-year-old had both legs amputated after contracting flu and strep A at the same time.
Before Christmas, Michigan’s Kaden Stevenson began complaining of what his mother, Michele, mistook for a common cold.
But she took him to the emergency room after his right leg became swollen, a rash erupted across his body and his limbs were so painful he could not put on shoes or a coat.
Doctors diagnosed the boy with toxic shock syndrome, a life-threatening condition in which toxins released by bacteria damage tissues.
They believe his condition was caused by the flu, which weakened his body to the point where mild Strep A would normally trigger a severe infection.
Kaden Stevenson, 7, of Michigan, had both legs amputated after being diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome. His right leg was amputated above the knee and the left leg was amputated below the knee
Kaden is pictured above with mother Michele. She had assumed Kaden just had a cold. But when his condition did not improve, she rushed to see doctors near her home
Kaden is an athletic kid pictured above before his diagnosis. He has an orange belt in Tang Soo Do, a Korean martial art, and also played soccer
He was flown 100 miles by helicopter within hours to a specialty hospital where medics were struggling to save his life.
However, they could not save his legs, as the right one had to be amputated above the knee and the left one just below.
Toxic shock syndrome can lead to amputation by damaging blood vessels, cutting off blood flow to extremities such as the hands and feet, or cause necrosis or death of body tissue.
Kaden was released from the hospital this week wearing a Superman cape and amid smiles and applause from staff for the first time in months.
His mother, Michele, says her “hero” misses his sporting days but is looking forward to prosthetics.
The youngster was a keen soccer player and had also earned his orange belt in Tang Soo Do, a Korean martial art.
Speaking to Michigan news site WZZM13, Michele said: “I’ve called him my superhero because he’s mine.
“Everything he does, he just tries so hard and never gives up. And then, even though he has learned how to use the wheelchair, he just takes off.
“When I think back, if I would have done anything differently than what I did, maybe my son wouldn’t be here.
“If I had waited another day or an hour, he might not be here.”
Kaden came home from school in Grand Blanc, Michigan one night just before Christmas and complained that he felt tired.
At first Michele thought it was nothing serious and left him alone.
But four days later, when his condition only seemed to be getting worse, she rushed him to Hurley Children’s Hospital in Flint.
There, an ER doctor sat her down and gave her “the most serious look I’ve ever seen in a doctor,” before saying that her son was “really sick.”
Within hours, Kaden had been loaded onto a helicopter and flown to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, more than 100 miles away in Grand Rapids.
Tests revealed he was infected with influenza and strep A, which had entered his bloodstream and deep into his tissues.
Strep A is a bacterial infection that can spread to the bloodstream in severe cases. Influenza is a virus that usually causes symptoms of the common cold.
Doctors diagnosed him with toxic shock syndrome, which is caused when Strep A bacteria enter the bloodstream and begin releasing toxins that can damage tissues.
They spent two weeks fighting in the hospital to save his life, but ultimately had to make the heartbreaking decision to amputate both of his legs.
Since then he has been recovering in a rehabilitation center. He was released a week ago and is now awaiting his prosthetic legs.
Discussing how her son is adjusting, Ms Stevenson told Good Morning America: “He always talks about it [how] he misses the old days and he misses when he could walk and how things used to be.
‘But he said he was kinda happy. He likes his new legs.”
Kaden was flown 100 miles to a specialist hospital for treatment. Doctors struggled to save his legs, but it was ultimately decided that he had to be amputated
Mum Michele is pictured above with her son Kaden on social media
Streptococci are found throughout the body, including in the mouth and on the skin, and are usually harmless.
But when they get through the skin and into the bloodstream, they can trigger an infection and release toxins that mess with the immune system.
It can lead to amputation if the blood vessels have been badly damaged by the toxins or if the bacterial infection has caused necrotizing fasciitis, in which bacteria in the affected areas have caused tissue death.
Kaden is pictured above before he developed Toxic Shock Syndrome
Annually, about 14,000 to 25,000 cases of Strep A cross this barrier, which in rare cases leads to toxic shock syndrome.
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital pediatrician George Fogg, who was not involved in Kaden’s care, told WSSM that Kaden’s influenza infection at the same time may have made strep A more severe.
He said this is because it may have disrupted the mucous membrane to prevent Strep A bacteria from entering the bloodstream.
It is also known that children are at a higher risk of contracting Strep A compared to adults because their immune systems are still developing and they are often in close contact with others at school, increasing the risk of infection.
This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) renewed its warning about Strep A, noting that at least five children in Illinois have died from the infection this year.
As winter began, there were concerns that cases of the disease, which are most common between December and April, would surge as Covid restrictions came to an end.
They were spurred on by a sharp rise in influenza and RSV infections, which reached record levels for the time of year.
A wave of Strep A infections has been predicted by some experts in the US. The wave killed several children in the UK.
Ms Stevenson has revealed her son’s story to warn others about the risks of contracting Strep A.
She told GMA: “If your child has any of these signs of fever, they’re complaining of pain, you see rashes, just take them to the emergency room.
“Start early, that’s the biggest thing. And listen to your children. They tell you they don’t feel good? Don’t just sweep it under the rug, assuming it’s a bit cold, but get it checked out.’
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