Hamilton family raising awareness about Strep A after sudden death of toddler
A plaster cast of his daughter’s hand is the closest Eric Muley will get to holding his child’s hand again.
“This is the hand they made for us at the hospital when she passed,” Eric says, gesturing at the small sculpture that is now mounted on the wall of his Hamilton, Ont., home.
Two-year-old Nevaeh Muley died suddenly of a Strep A bacterial infection earlier this month. Now her parents are looking to raise awareness about the invasive infection as they try to pick up the pieces.
Nevaeh was known for being an adventurous and brave toddler who loved to dance.
“Her all-time favourite thing was dancing,” Eric says. “Days prior to her getting sick, she was dancing. We have videos of her dancing in the front room.”
Earlier this month, Nevaeh came down with a fever. Her other siblings had colds around the same time, so her parents weren’t surprised.
“All of our kids were sick. They got better. So we just thought 'OK, Nevaeh you're next,’” Eric explains.
Her mother, Donna Johnson, was able to bring her temperature down within hours of symptoms showing up. She put the toddler to bed, but by the next morning, her symptoms worsened.
“She changed her diaper and noticed she had blotches. The first sign of anything was the blotches [while] changing her diaper. And she's like ,'We just have to go to the hospital,”' Eric said, adding Nevaeh seemed disoriented.
The girl was rushed to hospital and went into cardiac arrest. She was revived, but it happened a second time and she didn’t survive. All of it happened suddenly.
“We were trying to rub her head and hold her hands and try to talk to her – ‘Mom and Dad are here. It's OK, honey,'” Donna said.
“When they emptied her lung, it was in her right lung, they said it was Strep A pneumonia.”
STREP A CASES RISING
Rising cases of Strep A, especially in children, have prompted alerts from several health organizations around the world. Public Health Ontario noted a jump in December.
Group A Streptococcus is not uncommon, but it becomes invasive when it gets into parts of the body that normally have no bacteria.
“If I could just see her one last time and just tell her that we were there at the hospital. 'You weren't alone,'” Eric said.
“I think the toughest was when they started unplugging her – when they stopped, and they were like, 'It's too late.' That was probably the toughest.”
Now Nevaeh’s parents are hoping to raise awareness about Strep A for other families, urging them not to take any symptoms lightly.
“Even if it's just a fever – take them. Make sure you request to be checked for Strep A. I know hospitals are treating it like a cold or flu,” Eric says.
Not only is the family faced with a permanent hole, they’ve also been met with unexpected funeral-related costs. They launched a fundraiser to help with some of that.
As much as the financial help has been appreciated, they know no amount of money will bring their daughter back.
“Even eating, she has her own plate but she always came over to me and wanted to eat what was on my plate so I could share it with her,” said Johnson.
Now they say every plate will remain a little fuller, leading to an unexplainable feeling of emptiness.
Correction
An earlier version of this article classified Strep A as a viral infection. This article has been updated to reflect Strep A is in fact a bacterial infection.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.