4-week-old Noah Tindle was left fighting for his life after someone kissed him during Christening.
His mother, Ashleigh White, noticed her baby’s right eye had become swollen and was watering. She immediately sought advice from a health visitor who told her it was just a blocked tear duct.
However, the 21-year-old mother noticed blisters forming around her son’s eye. That’s when she took Noah to the doctor, worried it could be herpes.
The baby was referred to Barnsley Hospital where the mom repeated her sentiments to doctors.
“I’d read something on Facebook about another baby having the virus and the blisters looked exactly the same,” she said.
“What I didn’t realize is that even if you don’t have an active cold sore, you still do carry the virus in your system and saliva, meaning you can never be too careful.”
After numerous tests, it was confirmed that Noah had contracted the life-threatening virus. Doctors told Ashleigh her child had likely got the infection from a kiss from an infected adult.
“He was only four weeks old,” Ashleigh said. “We went to a christening where friends were holding and kissing him – it could have been any of them.”
Little Noah spent two and a half months in the hospital. Despite what happened, he is hitting all his milestones but will be on antiviral medication until next year.
“We managed to catch it before it could enter his bloodstream,” she shared. “He couldn’t open his eyes for days.”
Also known as the cold sore virus, HSV-1 is not harmful to adults but it can be deadly for babies. It can quickly spread to babies’ nervous system and cause multiple organ failure. In worse cases, it can lead to death.
“He spent two hours in theatre for what should have been a half hour operation, because he was so tiny,” Ashleigh expressed.
“He was then to be on the prophylactic antiviral for six months. Unfortunately, he had a re-occurrence in March and again went through the same thing, two weeks of intense antivirals and now he won’t be off of his medication until March, 2020.
“We still have a long way to go yet before we’re out of the dark.”
Doctors said that the tot is doing well but will continue to have regular checkups.
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