Dae'Shun Jamison is only 10 years old, and yet the boy has already lost both of his hands and two legs. It happened because of a disease linked to COVID that has already affected over 2,000 children in the U.S.
His mom Brittney Autman said her son understood what needed to be done before the surgeries took place-one in January and the other in February. Autman revealed that her son felt very emotional about losing his limbs. The mother says it breaks her heart to see her son suffer.
MIS-C, a Disease Linked to COVID 19
In late December, Dae'Shun Autman was hospitalized after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, People reported. His mother said she noticed her son started laying around more often. "He had a headache the day before I took him in and a high fever," she said.
Two weeks after becoming infected with COVID 19, the 10-year-old boy developed Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). Scientists have linked this new and rare condition to COVID-19, Newsweek reported.
MIS-C is a condition where many different parts of the child's body become inflamed as the body excreted inflammatory chemicals that propagate the immune system. This may include a hyperinflammatory response in vital organs like the lungs, heart, and brain. Eventually, the disease can lead to organ damage. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, neck pain, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
The doctors at Helen Devos Children's Hospital had to place the boy on an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation machine. The ECMO pumps oxygen in the body, which is helpful for patients with failing lungs and heart. The boy battled the disease through the winter, which included lung support, a feeding tube, and kidney dialysis, Fox News reported.
Dr. Rosemary Olivero, head of the pediatric infectious disease at the hospital where the boy was confined, revealed that some of their patient with MIS-C undergo severe cardio dysfunction. The treatments were aimed at easing the intensity of the inflammatory response to the COVID-19 infection. Treatments may be in the form of steroids to calm the immune system, pools of antibodies, or IVIg.
10-Year-Old Boy Amputated due to MIS-C COVID Linked Disease
On January 15, Dae'Shun was scheduled for surgery to have his right leg amputated. The doctors also forewarned the family of the possibility of having his other limbs removed. "He knew his leg will not look the same when he would wake up after the surgery," said the boy's mom, who added, "My son broke down in tears, and it has affected me so much."
After the first surgery, the boy's hands showed damage from a lack of blood flow. The doctors then decided to amputate the boy's hands and his left leg. The second surgery took place on February 22.
"My son is very emotional about his amputations," the mom said about her son's current condition. "It breaks my heart. I cannot believe all this is happening to my baby."
The mom-of-two said that while she could not wish the same thing would happen to someone else's child, she says she struggles to understand why such a thing would happen to her child. Still, the mom held on to her faith, saying, "Please do keep the prayers coming."
Britney Autman set up a GoFundMe page to raise awareness and support for her son. The donation page has since raised over $120,000. Dae'Shun will need rehabilitation therapy. When he is ready, the family plans to be able to fund prosthetics. "I am trying to get him back to the way he was as much as I can," the boy's mom said.
