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A one-year-old boy who had both legs amputated and may still lose his fingers has become the brave face of a deadly outbreak sweeping Australia.
The strep A infection that has ravaged little Ryan Lines’ body began with a runny nose, but quickly became life-threatening when he went into severe septic shock.
His desperate parents, Jessica and Sam Lines, rushed their son to hospital in Broken Hill, western New South Wales, on December 8, where he went into cardiac arrest for 10 minutes.
Doctors were miraculously able to revive Ryan, but at that point his parents were told he would have brain damage and lose parts of his face, as well as his legs and hands.
Her condition deteriorated so rapidly that the family was airlifted to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide for treatment, where Ryan has remained for 62 days.
Last Friday, he underwent surgery to amputate both legs below the knee and will undergo more surgeries next week to remove all of his fingertips and possibly some fingers.
Her mother told Daily Mail Australia of her horror at seeing what seemed like a simple virus turn into a life-threatening condition.
Brave little Ryan Lines (pictured) contracted the life-threatening strep A infection
Mom Jessica (left, with husband Sam and sons Ryan, 1, and Rory, 3) noted that he had a runny nose, a temperature, and was limp and lethargic. She and her husband Sam rushed him to the hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest for 10 minutes.
“I noticed that Ryan had a runny nose, a temperature, and was very limp and lethargic. This is what made me take him to the hospital,” Ms Ryan said.
“After the cardiac arrest, we were told that we may be looking at the worst case scenario, where Ryan would have suffered brain damage, losing parts of his face and his entire legs and hands, luckily that’s not the case.”
Ryan’s ordeal comes amid growing concern about a rise in life-threatening strep A infections plaguing the nation.
Cases have doubled in Western Australia in the past three months in the first major rise in infection in the state in two decades.
Authorities in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria also reported recent increases in A strep cases among children.
Ryan’s parents expected the worst, but luckily the doctors managed to revive him.
But her extremities have suffered and turned black as a result of inefficient blood flow.
Also known as group A strep, the bacterial infection is found in the throat and on the skin, but can lead to other invasive infections.
It’s the same infection that led to the death of Perth girl Aishwarya Aswath in 2021 and claimed the lives of at least two other children in Victoria last year.
What makes the insect so deadly is how the germs create a toxin that can penetrate the skin or blood, causing irreparable damage.
Those suffering from septic shock, as in the case of little Ryan, can develop small blood clots that prevent blood from flowing to the hands, fingers, toes and toes. Once this happens, the tissue begins to blacken and die, requiring amputation.
Last Friday he underwent surgery to amputate both legs below the knee and next week he will have surgery to remove all of his fingertips and possibly some fingers (pictured after surgery)
“Our little boy is a miracle, but the reality is that Ryan was very, very sick,” Jess said.
“When you go into severe septic shock, a lot of things happen in your body that you didn’t know could happen,” Ms Lines said.
‘[Ryan] he struggled with a collapsed lung and also had to undergo dialysis treatment several times to help his kidneys, many doctors are amazed at how well his heart is doing.’
Before the surgery, his parents “couldn’t even comprehend” that Ryan’s “perfect little feet” needed to be amputated.
“The doctors aren’t sure if they will leave the fingers as they are or do surgery to help regrow new cells and skin by sewing Ryan’s fingers inside his stomach/groin for a few weeks, hopefully this can give him more length.” to the fingers of him,’ said Ms. Lines.
Our little boy is a miracle, but the reality is that Ryan was very, very sick.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family while they are 500 km away from home. After just four days, a staggering $101,000 has been donated
We’re not sure what Ryan’s future will look like, but we know we’ll do everything we can to give him the best life possible.
“Everyone is so surprised that he survived, and the outcome has been more positive than we thought it would be.”
With the family currently living 500 km from home and not knowing how to pay the medical bills, a GoFundMe The page has been created on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Lines.
After just four days, a staggering $101,000 has been donated to support the family.
Ms. Ryan has kept her followers updated by sharing videos and photos on her Instagram. page.
Parents have been urged to be vigilant and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms of Strep A arise.
They include sore throat, fever or chills, dizziness, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, skin infection, and abdominal pain.
Jess and Sam Lines also have another three-year-old son, Rory (left)
Strep A kills more than 600,000 people worldwide each year, according to Telethon Kids Institute executive director Jonathan Carapetis. School-age children, the elderly and pregnant women are among the most vulnerable (Pictured: Ryan at 11 months)
Strep A kills more than 600,000 people worldwide every year, said Telethon Kids Institute Executive Director Jonathan Carapetis. Western Australia.
He warned that the infection could kill in a matter of hours.
“I would describe it as the most disgusting bug you’ve probably never heard of… it’s the kind of bug that can kill you in hours,” said Professor Carapetis.
“If a child gets sick very quickly, it’s a potential emergency, and he doesn’t wait until tomorrow to see the GP, he takes him straight to the emergency department. Kids can literally go to bed and never wake up.’
School-age children, the elderly and pregnant women are among the most vulnerable.