A mum has spoken out about the "terrifying experience" when her little boy was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease (KD), the same rare disease Mrs Hinch recently confirmed her son suffered from.
Ella Castle-Parker's son, Caleb, one, was diagnosed with KD in November 2022 after he developed bloodshot eyes, visible rashes, and redness on his lips. The disease can be life-threatening and is often found in children under five.
Ella and her partner, James Elderkin, both 28, took him to A&E, however, they were sent home and were told to come back if the symptoms continued. Two days later, Caleb's condition worsened and he developed a 40-degree fever and swollen hands and feet.
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The young lad was rushed back to the hospital where he underwent three heart scans in 24 hours before being diagnosed with KD. Influencer Mrs Hinch recently announced on Instagram that her son, Ron, three, is also suffering from KD — after he was rushed to hospital.
Ella, from Croydon, south London, said: "Our experience is very similar to Mrs Hinch's in the sense that it was something I’d never heard of before and had no idea it could even be treated.
''It was terrifying. Our son was born 10 weeks premature - we felt we were out of the woods - and all of a sudden he’s got a rare disease nobody knew how to deal with.
“Having Caleb get so poorly so quickly before our eyes is an experience I would not wish on my worst enemy.”
Caleb was admitted to a high-dependency ward while receiving high doses of immunoglobulin. In total, Caleb stayed in hospital for five days before getting better.
Ella added: ''Only one of us could stay with Caleb and we felt really isolated.
“We were in a bubble and nobody in the family could help us because they weren’t allowed to visit. I can’t thank the staff enough for not only spotting such a rare disease, but treating it so swiftly and taking us seriously from the get-go — we’ve minimised the chance of it having a lasting impact.''
Although Caleb will need heart monitoring until the age of five, he does not require ongoing medication and is expected to reach all his milestones. Caleb's father has joined Kawasaki Disease UK, a national charity dedicated to the condition as an administrator to help spread awareness of the disease.
Ella added: "“Even now, we feel like we are holding our breath, praying that every future heart scan comes back showing no lasting damage. It’s like a nightmare.”
The young mother said she reached out to Sophie Hinchliffe, also known as Mrs Hinch, after finding out via social media that her son was suffering from the same condition. She said: “I really feel for her as we've had the exact same experience, it's horrible. You have to trust your instincts if you think something is wrong with your baby. You have to push until someone acknowledges it. There are a lot more people that have gone through it than you expect.”
