Little girl, 4, died of virus ‘you’ve never heard of’ days after doctors told her parents she ‘just had a cold’
A FOUR-year-old girl passed away after succumbing to a common virus that started off as a cold.
Little Maisie Schmidt came down with a stuffy nose and cough – but within days, she was on life support and placed in a medically induced coma.
As her condition progressively worsened – with the tot suffering “a very large stroke” and having part of her brain removed – her parents made the agonising decision to take Maisie off life support on March 26.
“There was simply nothing more that could be done,” they told Cleveland 19 News.
It comes as health officials warned that human metapneumovirus (hMPV) – the little known bug responsible for Maisie’s illness – is “hiding in plain sight” and could cause a surge of cases this spring.
Maisie’s parents took her to urgent care when she complained of a cough and stuffy nose.
Her dad Patric Schmidt said: “We got told it was just a common cold, just take her home, lots of fluids and things of that nature.”
But by March 23, her symptoms had dramatically worsened, prompting her worried parents to take her to the emergency room and then a nearby children’s hospital.
“Maisie made a trip to the hospital with what everyone thought would be an in and out visit,” her uncle Mike Brigadier wrote in a GoFundMe appeal.
But things took a turn for the worse, leaving the four-year-old battling for her life “on multiple forms of life support in order to give her body a fighting chance”.
Maisie was infected with hMPV, a common virus that circulates in the winter and early spring like RSV and the flu, which tends to
“Most people may exhibit cold symptoms with this virus, but unfortunately it’s grabbed a hold of Maisie and isn’t letting go,” Mike said.
Maisie’s dad Patric told Cleveland 19 News: “It’s not what you expect. We just thought it was a common cold and that we’d be taking her home the same day, never thought we’d be down here.”
The four-year-old was placed in a medically induced coma soon after arriving at the hospital.
By March 25, doctors found out she’d suffered a stroke after performing a CT scan on Maisie.
Patric explained: “They said that there was some bleeding on the brain, so they wanted to get a scan of that and in the process of doing so they found that she actually had a very large stroke on the right side of her brain.”
The little tot was whisked into brain surgery soon after that, with part of her brain so swollen that it had to be removed.
At the time, doctors expected that Maisie’s recovery would take several months but that she’d pull through.
However, her family were hit with the devastating news that there was nothing more doctors could do to treat the four-year-old.
The parents made the agonising decision to take Maisie off life support and she passed away on March 26.
What is human metapneumovirus and what are the symptoms?
HUMAN metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a respiratory pathogen closely related to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
It is associated with a range of illnesses, from mild infection to severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Symptoms may include:
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Temperature
- Sore throat
- Wheezing
Like RSV, HMPV is thought to be a seasonal virus occurring mostly during the winter months.
However, the number of people which suffer from it each year is still to be determined.
Studies suggest that the majority of people have had HMPV infection by the age of five.
But it has been found in older children and adults, suggesting re-infection can occur later in life.
HMPV commonly clears up on its own, but supportive treatments such as antihistamines and breathing assistance are sometimes provided.
Source: gov.uk
Her uncle Mike posted a heartbreaking update to the GoFundMe following his niece’s death.
“I wish I could deliver a happy ending to this story,” he wrote.
“I wish I knew the right words to say to ease my loved ones pains and all those who were touched by Maisie.
“Typing these words hours after are still so surreal. I’m in disbelief that this could happen to such a sweet family.”
He described his little niece as “caring, smart, fun and loving”, noting how she was always concerned for other people’s feelings.
“I am so proud to be your Uncle, Maisie, and I’ll never forget what I have learned from you,” Mike said.
Her ded Patric said: “She is one of the most lovable people that you’ll ever meet.
“She’s so smart and so willing to help anyone and she wants everyone to love her just like she loves everyone else.”
The family thanked people for the outpouring of love shown to Maisie and their donations.
The latest data show hMPV cases are starting to rise in Britain, with 4.1 per cent testing positive in the week up to March 17, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Dr Ed Hutchinson, of the University of Glasgow, told The Sun that the common virus can cause “a pyramid of disease”.
“Most cases are really mild or light colds, there’s a small proportion of more serious cases and then a tiny proportion of deaths,” he explained.