Nicky Green’s 12-year-old son, Finley, came to his mother with some complaints.
He was always tired, and his muscles ached. But on closer inspection, Nicky found that fatigue was the least of Finley’s worries.
He was constantly feverish. Not only that, but his lips were always painfully cracked, and his eyes were red.
She took her son to the doctor, but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. They first deared his appendix was inflamed. They removed it as a precaution, but it didn’t seem to affect anything.
So doctors kept looking, until they found something that fit.
He was diagnosed with a rare condition, an autoimmune disease called Kawasaki disease.
It’s a rare condition, and doctors don’t know what causes it. It only affects between 9 and 19 people in every 100,000 US children. The illness is one of the leading causes of acquired heart disease In children, though thankfully, only a small number of patients have lasting heart problems.
Finley is actually about 7 years older than most children are when they’re diagnosed. But the symptoms are the same.
Symptoms include Finley’s: fever, redness of the eyes, irritation and inflammation of the mouth, lips, and throat, but can also include swelling of the hands and feet, rashes, and swollen lymph glands.
“It’s important to diagnose this as soon as possible,” Nicky told The Daily Echo. “Fin has a couple of medium sized aneurysms and one large one, but if his illness was identified sooner that might not be the case.”
Finley, once an active twelve-year-old, now has stopped playing sports in favor of activities that won’t damage his heart. He’ll be living with the heart damage for the rest of his life.
His family supports Kawasaki Disease Research, the biggest charity for the condition. They hope that more tests will be discovered to catch it earlier on.
