Little Delilah McGeogh, two, was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease in July last year after suffering 10 days of illness.
Delilah spent seven days in hospital(Image: Supplied)
The mum of a toddler with a rare disease has called for greater awareness of the condition after her daughter was diagnosed with just 24 hours to spare.
Little Delilah McGeogh, two, was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease – an acute, self-limiting illness that causes inflammation of blood vessels – in July last year after suffering 10 days of illness. The tot, from Paisley, was taken to her GP by mum Ashleigh when she began suffering from a high temperature that wouldn’t stabilise and a swollen red throat.
Her symptoms were initially put down to tonsillitis but when she woke up with a lump on her neck, she was rushed to A&E.
The lump on Delilah’s neck(Image: Supplied)
Mum Ashleigh, 31, told the Record: “Her symptoms were generic, at first I thought she was coming down with a cold. When she started struggling to swallow I took her to the GP who initially thought she had tonsillitis.
“We were given antibiotics and sent home but a few days then passed and she wasn’t improving, she was lethargic and dehydrated. When she woke up with a golf ball sized lump in her neck we rushed her to A&E.”
Delilah’s hands and feet started to peel(Image: Supplied)
Medics then put Delilah’s symptoms down to a lymph node infection and sent the tot home with antibiotics. But days later when Delilah displayed a red rash on her palms which started to peel, she was taken back to A&E before being admitted to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
Ashleigh said: “She still had a bad fever, the golf ball lump was still there and the palms of her hands went bright red, it was almost as if they’d been pained. Once she got onto the ward the doctors mentioned Kawasaki disease but said there was no test for it – they had to rule out everything else before she could be treated.”
The tot is now doing well after treatment(Image: Supplied)
The treatment plan for Kawasaki disease can cause complications in children, meaning doctors wanted to rule out any other illnesses beforehand. That meant Ashleigh and her husband Robert had to watch as their daughter suffered a range of symptoms.
Delilah was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) – a solution of antibodies – and was diagnosed with the disease shortly after. Kawasaki disease, which mainly affects children under the age of five, causes blood vessels to become inflamed.
It affects about eight in every 100,000 children. The disease can be difficult to spot as several of the symptoms – such as a rash, high temperature and strawberry tongue – can easily be mistaken for other viruses.
If left untreated, it can lead to heart complications and around 2%-3% of cases can be fatal.
Mum Ashleigh, dad Robert with kids Isla, 7, Robbie, 4, Daisy, 2, and Delilah, 2(Image: Supplied)
Mum-of-four Ashleigh said: “Within hours of treatment Delilah was like a different child, you could see it working straight away. We couldn’t believe how quickly she responded to it. The doctors told us that her condition could have become extremely serious if it had been spotted even a day later.
“We want other mums and dads to be aware of the symptoms to ensure they get their children treatment as soon as possible. It is incredibly hard to spot but can lead to serious complications if left untreated.
“If parents know of the symptoms, they can at least ask doctors about it if their child is unwell.”
Delilah still has to undergo regular tests on her heart and has a weakened immune system, but is otherwise now doing well. According to the NHS, symptoms of Kawasaki disease include a rash, swollen glands in the neck, dry, red cracked lips, strawberry tongue, a red mouth, swollen hands and feet that go red and red eyes.