Ga. parents share warning after losing child to RSV

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Some Georgia parents are dealing with the tragic loss of their two-month-old daughter to respiratory syncytial virus.

The Dawsonville couple says they want to use their pain to warn other families.

“It’s still hard, especially at night, when you’re expecting that cry for a bottle,” says Taylor Shirley.

She wears a purple shirt, with the words “Lilli Strong” in pink across the front.

Taylor and her husband Casey welcomed their first child, Lilliah, on Oct. 28.

“She was just the love of our life,” Taylor says.

About two months later, on Jan. 2, their happiness turned to heartbreak, when Lilliah died after battling RSV.

“We kind of knew she had, like, some sniffles, so we thought maybe it’s just a cold. It’s winter,” Taylor recalls.

In a matter of two days, she says their daughter’s condition worsened.

On Nov. 28, Lilliah was rushed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Scottish Rite, where she was put on a ventilator that day.

Her parents say she was transferred to their Egleston location where she fought hard for a month, until she could not anymore.

“We want to make a difference for families going through the same thing we’re going through,” says Casey.

“Set boundaries, and stick to those boundaries,” warns Taylor. “Set boundaries for nobody to touch your baby without washing their hands, or if they’ve even got the slightest cough, just don’t let them around. If I could go back, and I could change something, it would be letting everybody just come up and grab her and hold her and getting her out too soon.”

Now, the Shirleys have a table full of memorial flowers, a stuffed dog with the sound of Lilliah’s heartbeat, and a plaster imprint of their daughter’s tiny hand.

“She was taken too soon,” says Taylor. “But while she was here, she was able to bring us lots of joy.”

Dr. Jim Fortenberry, Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, says they saw an influx starting in August, which has since tapered off.

“Several months ago, we had peak numbers of RSV infection here in Atlanta, and in Georgia,” he explains. “Over the last several years, I’ve actually seen this alteration in the way RSV has shown up and the timing of the year that it showed up. We are going to be watching very closely next year to see what happens.”

Fortenberry says to consult your pediatrician right away if your child has trouble breathing, is wheezing, or has difficulty taking in fluids.

“Most infants and children who develop RSV infection are ill but do well at home with symptomatic treatment. It’s really important to recognize, though, that RSV can become a very serious illness,” he adds.

As far as preventive measures, Fortenberry says pregnant mothers can get an RSV vaccine at 32-36 weeks gestation.

He also notes Beyfortus is a monoclonal antibody treatment approved by the FDA last July, which can be given to infants and young children to help prevent RSV.

Fortenberry also reminds parents it is not too late in the season to get a flu shot.

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