ATLANTA — A Loganville couple who almost lost their newborn baby girl is sending out a warning to stay vigilant.
Baby Cecilia is one of the youngest patients hospitalized with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). While it's typical this time of year, doctors say cases are on the rise in metro Atlanta.
"I can't even express. I mean, it's been heartbreaking, honestly," Allissa Briggs said.
Videos inside the hospital show her baby girl struggling to breathe. It's been two traumatizing weeks in and out of the ICU for the whole family.
"It was honestly scary. Like, we got transferred to ICU at four in the morning, and I walked outside bawling my eyes out, like, 'Is my baby coming home with us,?'" Briggs wondered.
At that point, they didn't know. Cecilia got sick at 3 weeks old.
"It started when she was feeding. She started choking, turning purple on us, not breathing. It was traumatizing. Honestly, I have never witnessed choking as a for a baby like that," Briggs said.
Photos | 3-week-old rushed to hospital with RSV
The young mom of three took off with dad to rush to the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta from Loganville.
"They listened to her lungs. They said, 'OK, it sounds like she has Bronchiolitis.' They came back... I would say less than five minutes. And they said she has RSV," Briggs said.
Both Mom and Dad knew it was serious. From there, it would be a battle to try to get Cecilia healthy again.
"Young infants, 2 years old or less, are certainly more likely to have trouble," Dr. Danny Bransetter, the chief medical officer at Wellstar Kennestone said.
Right now, cases are rising in metro Atlanta, but they have yet to peak. This time last year, patients were taking over emergency rooms.
"RSV is a respiratory virus that is indistinguishable from symptoms of the common cold. Most of us are infected with RSV by the time we're 2 years old, and we can have it multiple times in our life," Dr. Bransetter said.
He said it can be transmitted even by kissing a young child on the cheek or from one child to the next. That might've been what happened between siblings in Cecilia's case, but doctors still don't know.
"She's a strong fighter! Honestly, I'm glad that she's pushed through. I knew she would," Briggs said.
Cecilia was discharged Friday afternoon. Now that the family is home, they'll stay vigilant and wear masks around the baby. Because mom and dad were out of work and will be for some time, they're fundraising to help with medical expenses. If you'd like to help, you can do so here.
Right now doctors say the numbers aren't alarming, but they are increasing. Prevention is going to be key as we get closer to peak RSV season in a few months. Doctors do recommend pregnant mothers to get vaccinated to protect their baby.