Kentucky toddler Jackson Oblisk fell into a coma after getting bitten by a tick and contracting the potentially fatal disease Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
It was a terrifying experience for the family, but fortunately, the two-year-old woke up just in time to celebrate his second birthday.
Toddler Gets Deadly Disease
In an interview with WHAS, Jackson's mother Kayla said that her child and his father visited the Mount Washington City Park, where he was bitten by a tick on the neck. The family didn't think it would lead to something serious as they simply pulled the tick off and continued their trip.
However, Kayla grew worried when Jackson started running a fever and light pink spots appeared on his body. At that point, she took him to the doctor where he was misdiagnosed with a viral rash. There's nothing that can be done, so the family was told to simply wait it out.
When Jackson's rash became an aching pain, the family rushed him to the emergency room. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever was mentioned, but initially, the family believed it was too rare for him to get. It turns out Jackson really was suffering from the disease.
"My kid wouldn't get up, he wouldn't eat he wouldn't drink, he was running a 105 degree fever," Kayla recalled. "We couldn't get him to do anything, if you touched him he screamed."
Doctors told them that the disease often becomes fatal at the eighth day. Jackson finally got treatment on the seventh day.
The toddler slipped into a coma, waking up just in time for his birthday. He's now expected to make a full recovery.
"I'm so glad that as a parent I said to myself ya know something isn't right and followed it," Kayla said.
Signs Of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
It's not easy to diagnose Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever because many of the early signs and symptoms of this disease aren't specific to it. However, it's important to know the signs because Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a serious disease that can be life-threatening.
According to CDC, some symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, muscle pain, and lack of appetite. Rashes are typical of the disease, usually appearing two to four days after the fever begins.
Cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever have been reported all throughout the United States, but more than 60 percent of cases occur in Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
