When 4-year-old DJ Brunson experienced stomach pain and a fever back in October, an urgent care physician thought it was likely a virus he picked up at pre-school. But the fever continued to come and go, and he became uncharacteristically lethargic. One more fever spike prompted his parents Yolanda and Daryl to bring him to the hospital. That’s when he was diagnosed with multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children – a complication of COVID-19, which he had weeks prior but showed no symptoms.
MIS-C can impact many parts of the body, including the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys, and have profound consequences. Thankfully, DJ’s parents brought him to CHoR.
“Most kids have minimal impacts from coronavirus infection, but some – like DJ – do experience a more uncommon but very serious complication called MIS-C that occurs weeks after COVID-19 infection and requires hospitalization. We have the right teams, therapies and equipment in place at CHoR to identify MIS-C and provide the precise care these children need,” said Dr. Karen Hendricks-Muñoz, interim physician-in-chief.
The Brunsons shared their appreciation through a letter to Dr. Hendricks-Muñoz and DJ’s care team:
My son was admitted to your hospital on 10/3/21 and he was discharged on 10/11/21. I would like to personally take the time to commend the dynamic team of doctors and medical students that played a part in his care. Pediatrics Team 2 displayed such exceptional bedside manners and clinical skills in explaining the plan of treatment for my son. During the critical time of our hospital stay Drs. O'Boyle, Sandifer and Jessani (intern) along with Dr. Muñoz (hospital medicine) were impeccable in answering every question with empathy and with zeal to learn more of what could be done to treat my son's MIS-C diagnosis. They listened intently to my concerns, which were many and took the time to follow up with my husband and I sometimes 2-3 times a day to ensure we understood the plan of treatment and to address any lingering concerns. A true testament to patient satisfaction.
I can't say enough great things about Team 2 and the hospital staff including Dr. Marshall (infectious disease) and Dr. Hoffmann (rheumatology). The level of professionalism, compassion and integrity each displayed is unparalleled. When they didn't have a clear-cut answer, they didn't create one and that I can truly appreciate ethically. Kudos to this exemplary team of doctors and hope this is relayed to them for all their help with my son's care.
With warm regards,
Yolanda & Daryl Brunson
DJ is fully recovered from his MIS-C and back to the spunky little boy his parents are used to.
“DJ is such a ball of inquisitive energy that keeps us busy from day to day (always an adventure). He'll be five in a few weeks and loves everything Thomas the Train and Monster Jam trucks," said Mom.
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