GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Dae'Shun Jamison from Shelby, Michigan, has been diagnosed with a rare condition resulting from COVID-19 which will lead to amputation of his legs.
The 10-year-old had a high fever, and his mother immediately took him to the hospital, where he was admitted on Dec. 21. Doctors diagnosed him with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, also known as MIS-C.
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Jamison is currently being treated at Helen Devos Children's Hospital, where doctors have told the family his case is the worst in the state that they have seen.
To put into perspective how rare the condition is, 5,000 pediatric patients at Spectrum have received positive COVID test results, but just 21 patients have been treated for MIS-C.
Symptoms can include a fever, redness in the eyes, any type of rash, inflammation of the lymph nodes, vomiting, or diarrhea. The exact reason why a handful of patients suffer from the condition is unknown.
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"There's thought that there could be a genetic trigger, but we just don't know yet what that genetic trigger is or if it affects some populations more than others," said Dr. Rosemary Olivero, pediatric infectious diseases physician and division chief at Spectrum Health. "We've seen MIS-C happen to children of all pediatric ages, races, and genders as well. So there's still quite a bit that we are learning."
Dr. Olivero says the condition typically develops two to eight weeks post-infection. In Jamison's case, he had no symptoms of COVID-19. The MIS-C symptoms developed following the infection period of two weeks.
"They say don’t question God, but I don’t understand, why my son?" said Jamison's mother, Brittney Autman. "I wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone else’s child, but why me?"
The condition prompted a build-up of fluid in Jamison's legs. Doctors tried to save them but have told the family he has no movement or feeling left in them. The decision to amputate was not an easy decision to make.
"It was really hard. I just think about like, once it’s done, what will his life be afterwards? He likes to play soccer, and he likes to do things. And it’s just hard," said Autman, who is optimistic her son will one day walk again with prosthetics.
There is a GoFundMe set up to help the family with medical bills. If you would like to donate, click HERE.