Cherokee County

Doctors warn of dangerous virus that spikes this time of year

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Doctors are warning parents about a potentially fatal virus that spikes this time of year.

Kari Judson said she’d never heard of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, until it killed her son.

Judson’s twins, Alexander and Dominic, were born a few weeks early, but they were strong and never got sick.

Alexander and Dominic Judson

One day, Alexander got a little stuffy and what his mother describes as more than tired.

“He was lying there and breathing, but he was just lying there. He wasn't trying to curl up and go to sleep. He was not doing anything,” Judson said.

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A quick trip from their Cherokee County home to the emergency room discovered RSV.

The virus was already so serious that standard breathing treatments didn’t work.

“At that point the decision was made to fly him to Egleston put him on life support,” Judson said.

Doctors determined that they couldn't save Alexander. Within hours, the family said goodbye.

“The smaller the child, the quicker it can turn,” Dr. Gregory Sysyn said.

Sysyn told Channel 2’s Linda Stouffer that RSV feels like a cold to most people, but it’s the main reason why babies go to the hospital.

To prevent it, Sysyn recommends keeping your child separated from sick family members and watching them closely.

“If your child changes or is beginning to refuse to eat, not being playful, breathing fast, there could be some blueness around the mouth or lips -- that's very important and needs to be paid attention to," Sysyn said.

Judson’s other son, Dominic, got RSV too, but is now a healthy little boy.

Dominic Judson also got RSV like his twin brother, but he survived.

“We talk about Alexander all the time. He’s still part of our family, he's just not here,” Judson said.

Doctors want parents to look out for RSV now. They say they usually see a spike in the virus between Halloween and Easter.