When Natasha and Jeff found out they were having a baby girl, they were to the moon.
The new parents named their little one Mallory and had big plans for their family.
Unfortunately, their plans were tragically derailed when their baby passed away after only three weeks of life.
Doctors were baffled when Mallory developed a fever, and her parents were forced to watch her slowly die as her condition deteriorated. They are now warning all parents not to make the same mistake.
During her first week of life, the baby developed a high fever that left her doctors confused. She had not been exposed to anyone who had been sick, making it hard for them to make a diagnosis.
Mallory was only diagnosed properly when blisters started to appear and doctors knew she had contracted herpes in the form of HSV-1 virus. Unfortunately, it was too late to administer antivirals.
For two weeks, Natasha and Jeff were forced to watch their baby’s condition deteriorated. There was nothing they could do as their little one worsened.
Mallory died and it took Jeff a month to bring himself to create a Facebook post about what happened. He wants to educate others so they won’t have to experience such kind of pain.
Even though infant fatalities through HSV-1 are rare, it is vital to take precautions when being around young children who are vulnerable to disease and sickness. It is believed over half the world’s population has HSV-1 but many are not showing any symptoms.
Even if you are only going to hold a baby for a minute, make sure that you wash your hands thoroughly. It could mean the difference between life and death.
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