CNN
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Less than three months after welcoming twin boys, Amanda and Ed Bystran lost one of them to RSV.
Amanda Bistran gave birth to twins Brody and Cyrus on August 15.
“We couldn’t wait for them to arrive. My older kids were so excited to have a baby in the house,” said Amanda Bistrand, who has four other children. “They couldn’t wait to meet and hug. They were actually born on my eighth birthday,” she told CNN.
The twins were born prematurely at 34 weeks and struggled from the start. They were released from the neonatal intensive care unit two weeks later and have since recovered. COVID-19 Then in September they got meningitis, their mother says.
The Bystrans hoped the twins would turn the corner, but in mid-October both developed congestion and coughing.
The concerned parents, who live in Catlett, Virginia, took them to a pediatrician who told them they tested negative for respiratory syncytial virus and flu on Oct. 17, suggesting the twins likely had the common cold. Amanda told CNN.
“They sent us home, but Brody deteriorated rapidly around Thursday. Crowded I was really struggling to expel the mucus. It was like nothing I had ever seen before,” he said Bystran. “He deteriorated rapidly. One moment he was fine and the next he was fighting for his life.”
Nearly all children become infected with RSV at some point before the age of two, but children who are premature, newborns, those with weakened immune systems or neuromuscular disorders, and those with chronic pulmonary and Parents should be especially careful with children with heart conditions.of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On October 20, Bystrans decided to take Brody to Inova LJ Murphy Children’s Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, an hour away from home.
This time, doctors informed her that Brodie had tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus and would be hospitalized, Amanda said. I waited 12 hours in the room. She then waited 16 hours before being moved to the pediatric intensive care unit, Bystran said.
“They were so full. The whole children’s ward was full of RSV patients. It was terrifying,” she said.
the hospital operates at or near capacity Tracy Connell, a spokesperson for Inova Children’s Hospital for the past few days, told CNN on Thursday. The hospital also issued a news release saying it had launched an “internal contingency plan” to deal with a large number of patients infected with respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus and influenza, but was unable to respond to the general public. We ensured that it was ready for a swell.
Bystran stayed with her son for most of his hospital stay, watching doctors try different oxygen treatments, she said. Things took a turn for the worse on the morning of October 22, she said, after realizing that oxygen therapy was not working and Brody was still having trouble breathing, she sought additional help.
“They decided to intubate him, so I went out so they could work on him,” Bystran said. He said his heart rate had plummeted and he was doing CPR for the last 10 minutes.”
Bystran hurriedly asked her husband and in-laws to go to the hospital, but she was unable to get to the hospital before Brodie died, she says.
“My heart was shattered into billions of pieces. No mother should have planned a funeral for her baby. He should have outlived me. This boy was even three months old.” We couldn’t meet. It’s not fair,” Bistrand expressed her grief on Facebook.
Bystrans’ nightmare isn’t over yet. Brodie’s twin, his Silas, is still in the hospital recovering from his RSV. At the hospital he tested positive for his RSV on Oct. 21 and was admitted the day after his brother, Bystran says. Unlike Brody, Cyrus was also diagnosed with pneumonia and spent about 16 hours in intensive care, his mother says.
Silas was moved from intensive care on Tuesday night, but Bystran said he developed a fever in the middle of the night on Wednesday and needed assistance to get his oxygen levels up.
“We had a really tough night, but he came back not doing so well. Doctors said RSV was like a roller coaster,” she said. “They say he’s fine for a minute, but can quickly go downhill before he stabilizes again.”
His family hopes he gets over it, but they are deeply saddened that he won’t be able to grow up with his twins.
“Brody was such a bright person. A beautiful little kid. He was so wanted and loved. It was so much fun to see the bond he and Cyrus shared,” Bistrand said. They preferred to sleep together. they were always touching. It’s heartbreaking not to see them grow up together.Silas doesn’t have a twin brother, so I’m afraid he’s always feeling this hole. ”
As the Bystrans mourn the loss of their son, they warn the others. parents to trust their instincts.
“If you feel your child is getting worse and it’s not just a cold, go to the hospital right away. Don’t wait, think, think for yourself,” Bystran said.
