Baby Henry: He didn’t grow for a month as his body recovered from RSV

“My two-year-old was the first to get sick, quickly followed by me, and then little Henry who was only seven weeks old.  

I had seen something online about the signs of respiratory distress in babies – tight skin around the neck and chest – and I recognised this in Henry, so I called Nurse on Call.  

They said to take Henry to hospital as soon as possible. Living on a farm about 45 minutes away from the nearest hospital was nerve wracking. The nurse said I couldn’t let Henry cry as this could interfere with his ability to breathe and he might go further into respiratory distress. 

Luckily, Henry was exhausted and only one stop was needed to settle him.  

At hospital, Henry was placed on high flow oxygen support and joined an entire ward dedicated to babies with RSV.   

He stayed in the hospital for the next five days, needing oxygen as well as tube feeding.  

Henry recovered and so did I, even from my two broken ribs brought about by the violent RSV cough. 

The doctor later reported that Henry is behind developmentally due to RSV. He didn’t grow for a full month as his body was so focused on recovering from the virus, and to this day has not made up for that lack of growth.  

Honestly, I wouldn’t wish RSV on my worst enemy.” 

Gabrielle Menzies, Wagga Wagga, NSW