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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.