A woman whose young child was diagnosed with the same rare disease as Mrs Hinch’s son described her little boy's battle as a ''terrifying experience''.
Ella Castle-Parker's one-year-old son Caleb was diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease (KD) in November 2022 after he developed bloodshot eyes, visible rashes, and redness on his lips. KD is a potentially life threatening condition, usually found in children under five, which causes swelling of the blood vessels throughout the body.
Ella and her partner, James Elderkin, both 28, visited Croydon University Hospital A&E, but were sent home and asked to return if the symptoms persisted. Two days later his condition deteriorated when he developed a constant 40-degree fever, as well as swollen hands and feet.
READ MORE: Kawasaki disease symptoms as Mrs Hinch's son Ronnie rushed to hospital
The young couple rushed their son back to A&E, where three heart scans within 24 hours led doctors to diagnose KD - a condition so rare it affects just eight in every 100,000 children in the UK each year.
Influencer Mrs Hinch recently announced on Instagram that her son, Ron, three, is also suffering from KD after he was rushed to hospital.
Ella, who works as the head of sales for a travel company, 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.”
Little Caleb was admitted to a high dependency ward and received high doses of immunoglobulin (IVIG), a pooled antibody used to deal with the inflammation resulting from KD. This treatment was pumped into the tot via IV drip and is the standard treatment option for the condition.
Ella’s son stayed in the hospital for a total of five days, getting better in a matter of hours after starting treatment. Although doctors told the family they were confident they had caught it quickly enough, they warned it could damage Caleb's heart for life.
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.''
The young mother 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.”
Mrs Hinch's son Ronnie was released from hospital earlier this week, after 10 days under medical care.
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