Online cleaning expert Mrs Hinch has posted on social media about her ‘nightmare’ after son Ronnie was taken to hospital suffering from soaring temperatures. The three year old went downhill after arriving, the TV star whose real name is Sophie Hinchliffe revealed.
In a recent Instagram post, the mum-of-two shared: “Ron’s temp spiked 40 at home, I phoned an ambulance. Ron was admitted and IV antibiotics started but NOTHING was working, in fact Ronnie deteriorated. The incredible doctors and nurses started every blood test and scan you can imagine.” Her trauma at hospital involved Ronnie undergoing multiple tests - eventually being diagnosed with Kawasaki disease.
This is a potentially serious illness if not treated in hospital - and in a small number of cases can prove fatal. If the child is less than one year old it’s very important to seek immediate treatment.
The 33-year-old admitted she had never heard of it and said: “Ron was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, something I had never heard of before. Kawasaki disease is a rare, non contagious disease that only affects around eight in every 100,000 children under the age of five in the UK. This disease causes swelling of the blood vessels throughout the body. It can also affect the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle when not treated early enough.”
She continued: “The main symptoms to look out for include a persistent high temperature, body rash, swelling and then peeling of the hands and feet, red blistered lips, bloodshot eyes, strawberry tongue, inflamed sore throat and Swollen lymph glands. This past week has shaken our whole world as a family. I’ve never felt a fear like it.”
When he was finally allowed to leave hospital Mrs Hinch said: “FINALLY ‘We can go home now Mummy’. Ron, you are SO brave, SO strong, SO loved and just beautifully unique darling boy We have spent the past 10 days living whats felt like a real life nightmare.”
Mrs Hinch went on: “I need to say THANKYOU to the incredible team at Broomfield hospital, St Marys and Great Ormond street. Thank you for answering our prayers and making our Ronnie better, His little smile says it all so Thank you”.
She then made a public appeal as she wrote: “Please if anyone reading this is a parent/carer of a child with Kawasaki disease Jamie and I would be so so grateful to hear from you and your story. I will do all that I can to help raise awareness of this disease that to this day still has no explained cause
Official NHS advice:
Kawasaki disease is a condition that mainly affects children under the age of 5. It’s also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome.
A child with Kawasaki disease has a high temperature that lasts for 5 days or longer, and possibly 1 or more of the following symptoms:
- a rash
- swollen glands in the neck
- dry, red cracked lips
- a swollen, bumpy, red tongue (“strawberry tongue”)
- red inside the mouth and at the back of the throat
- swollen and red hands and feet
- red eyes
After a few weeks, and with the correct treatment, the symptoms become less severe, but it can take longer than this in some children. See a GP urgently, or call 111 if you can’t speak to a GP, if your child has a persistent high temperature and 1 or more symptoms of Kawasaki disease.
Kawasaki disease causes the blood vessels to become inflamed and swollen, which can lead to complications in the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart (coronary arteries). Without treatment, around 1 in 4 children with Kawasaki disease get heart complications. This can be fatal in about 2 to 3% of cases. Because of this, Kawasaki disease is one of the main causes of acquired heart disease in children under 5 in the UK. Acquired heart disease develops after birth.
If your baby is less than 1 year old, it’s even more important to see a GP or call 111 straight away.
