THE mum of an eight-month-old baby died from the coronavirus-linked Kawasaki disease has urged other parents to be ‘vigilant’ of the symptoms to avoid further tragedies.
Alexander Parsons died on April 25 from the rare disease, which is believed to be a reaction to coronavirus.
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The toddler had no underlying health conditions and was seen happily playing just two hours before he suffered a ruptured aneurysm.
An early sign Alex was sick was a pinprick rash that had an appearance of sunburn and he also developed a high temperature and swollen lymph nodes.
Later he developed a severe sickness and his hands and the soles of his feet turned red.
Alex’s mum, Kathryn Rowlands, 29, now hopes to raise awareness and is calling for parents to “be really vigilant, be really aware of the symptoms and look out for them”.
She said: “I can’t change anything about what happened to Alexander; we thought we were taking all of the precautions to protect ourselves and him from Covid-19, and it still happened to us.
“We were in isolation, we weren’t even risking going to a shop because we were concerned, and it still happened to us.
“It can happen to anyone and I can’t change what has happened to him, but I can make other parents aware and potentially help other babies and children.”
Alex’s parents called 111 and the person they spoke to thought it could be mumps but the couple became concerned when Alex started being sick.
He was then admitted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth on April 6 and medics diagnosed the Kawasaki disease the following day.
While the illness usually affects kids under the age of five, during the coronavirus pandemic Europe has seen more than 200 suspected cases in children up to 14.
When Alex’s condition worsened he was transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children where he underwent a heart scan which found multiple coronary aneurysms, enlarged arteries and fluid.
He died the next night.
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The disease is also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome.
According to the NHS, the disease primarily affects children under five years of age.
The blood vessels become swollen which can lead to complications in the coronary arteries, the blood vessels which supply blood to the heart.
