Since the onset of the pandemic, three people have died in Arizona related to a rare COVID disease in children, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
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A representative of ADHD told ABC15 that they had received reports of three confirmed deaths associated with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C. With reference to privacy concerns, the agency will not disclose further details.
MIS-C is a very rare but serious condition that affects some children after a COVID-19 infection or exposure.
Valley mother Reanna Milliman told ABC15 her daughter Raelynn, 8, was recently discharged from hospital after spending more than two weeks in the ICU for MIS-C.
“She’s just getting so much better and she’s happy,” Milliman said.
That was not the case in March, when Milliman said fever and fatigue increased and her daughter began to suffer from severe gastrointestinal problems that landed Raelynn in the ICU.
“Talking to the surgeon and telling them they would have to remove her entire colon … was a very difficult thing for a mother to hear,” she said.
Fortunately, Raelynn did not have to undergo the surgery, although she also had blood clots and now regularly goes to see doctors when she recovers.
The Arizona Department of Health Services told ABC15 there are 116 confirmed MIS-C cases in Arizona.
“Every time we had a surge of COVID-19 cases, the surge of COVID-19 cases was followed by a surge of MIS-C cases,” said dr. Wassim Ballan, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, said.
Dr Ballan said fever is a major component of a MIS-C diagnosis, but other symptoms can include abdominal pain, vomiting, rash or pink eyes.
“Fever has a common cause,” Dr. Ballan said. “This does not mean that every time a child has a fever, we should be very concerned about MIS-C. But it is definitely something to keep in mind while dealing with the pandemic, especially if there is a known [COVID-19] exposure that happened before. ‘
Milliman, whose daughter was treated at another Valley hospital, said things are going much better with Raelynn, but she still has an unclear path ahead as she continues to recover.
“Now she can eat normally and play normally and laugh normally,” Milliman said. “At the hospital, the doctors told me it was one of the worst cases they had seen.”
Although this is a rare condition, Milliman hopes to raise the awareness of other parents.
“Just be aware of the signs and do not take them lightly,” she said.
Milliman still has a GoFundMe account to help her daughter, which you can find HERE.