A 10-year-old boy in Michigan has suffered four hand and leg amputations after a rare episode of severe coronavirus-related inflammatory disease.
Dae’Shun Jamison was diagnosed with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) and had his right leg amputated in early February at Children’s Hospital Helen DeVos, a spokeswoman for the Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital of Mary, where the boy went into rehab and recovery, confirmed to Fox News. The boy was taken back to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital on Monday for amputations of both hands and left leg.
Brittney Autman, the boy’s mother, detailed the story on a related GoFundMe page, writing on Tuesday, “Dae’Shun is very emotional about his amputations and breaks my heart. Please keep praying.”
Patients battling this rare and severe inflammatory condition may experience limb loss due to a hyperinflammatory response that affects the body’s blood clotting ability, an expert explained.
According to Dr. Rosemary Olivero, head of pediatric infectious diseases at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, some patients with MIS-C suffer from severe heart dysfunction, which affects the way the body pumps blood to the rest of the body. Heart dysfunction, along with blood clotting problems or bleeding, can be grouped together to obstruct blood flow throughout the body, he said.
Autman said his son needed his hands amputated “due to lack of blood flow and damaged tissues in his hands,” he also wrote last month: “Dae’Shun has [sic] had a blood clot in the artery of his right hand for over 2 weeks and the anticoagulants he has [sic] not working… “
“Some patients with MIS-C have really extreme changes in blood clotting factors. Some of them can clot too much in some parts of the body and then too little in other parts of the body, ”said Olivero, who later added:“ Inadequate clotting is one of the very serious consequences of MIS- C. It doesn’t happen in all patients, but it does in some and it can really cause organ damage due to the mechanics of blood flow.
Although medical professionals have become more adept at standardized MIS-C care, the syndrome remains incredibly difficult due to the complex nature of the disease, Olivero said.
When he was informed of the amputations in January, Autman wrote, “I understood everything. He understood when he [would] waking up the leg will not look the same. Dae’Shun was completely broken with the tears that came [sic] I in so many ways. “
The boy had been battling a severe course of the disease during the winter, with his mother detailing his treatment which consisted of kidney dialysis, lung support and a feeding tube.
Olivero said the amputations resulting from MIS-C are “a very unique and unfortunate consequence.”
MIS-C usually arises several weeks after previous COVID-19 infection and can cause organ damage due to a hyperinflammatory response.
“Your body excretes a number of inflammatory chemicals that actually propagate the immune system, which can be very harmful to the body’s organs,” Olivero explained, detailing MIS-C.
The treatments aim to facilitate an intense inflammatory response that leads to reactions to the infection. More specifically, treatments involve IVIg (intravenous immunoglobulin treatment), or groups of antibodies with particularly potent anti-inflammatory properties, as well as steroids to calm the immune system. Children with persistent inflammatory problems or in need of intensive care may receive more specific anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory drugs.
If a child is infected with COVID-19, it usually tends to have a better evolution, developing only mild or asymptomatic diseases. This could make it difficult for parents to detect a case of MIS-C early. However, significant transmission of COVID-19 to the community is likely to increase the prevalence of MIS-C and parents should monitor children for signs such as fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, skin inflammation, eyes, hands or feet, rashes. or red lips or eyes, Olivero said. Some children have swollen hands or feet, while others have enlarged lymph nodes.
The expert recommended that any parent who had a concern for MIS-C contact their doctor immediately for evaluation.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Feb. 1, there have been more than 2,000 MIS-C cases nationwide that disproportionately affect minority populations.