MIDLAND, Mich. (WNEM/Gray News) – A Michigan family is speaking out after a medical storm left them praying for their 2-year-old son’s survival.
Elliott Geyer, an energetic, joyful toddler, was playing with his favorite books, but within days, the bright-eyed 2-year-old was fighting for his life, WNEM reports.
It started out as nothing more than what Elliott’s family thought was the flu, but it soon took a terrifying turn.
The toddler’s family rushed him to urgent care, where he was diagnosed with strep throat and put on antibiotics. But his symptoms got worse, and his family had to rush him to the emergency room in Midland, which then turned into rushing him to the intensive care unit at Hurley Pediatric.
“I had been informed that he had been exposed to strep A and RSV because kids around him had tested positive for both of those,” said Elliott’s mother, April Geyer.
She said Elliott was put on a ventilator and then airlifted to the University of Michigan, where he was put in a medically induced coma.
Doctors diagnosed the 2-year-old with a rare, severe progression of strep A that led to scarlet fever, toxic shock syndrome and organ failure. They call it a medical storm, one that nearly took Elliott’s life.
“Elliott is kind of on the recovery end of the toxic shock syndrome that he experienced. We’re starting rehabilitation with speech and OT,” April Geyer said.
She said their family was initially told it was just a common illness, something that happens to kids all the time. But now, they’re urging parents to take symptoms seriously and push for further testing if something doesn’t feel right.
“You take your kid into the doctor, and you know something’s wrong. Follow your gut, get that test. If they push back, push back harder. Get that test,” said Todd Geyer, Elliott’s father.
The Geyers said if they can help just one family avoid what they’ve been through, the message is worth it.
“It’s been terrifying, you know, something that I had all the time as a kid. I had strep a couple times growing up, and I had no idea that it could cause something so severe and something so significant in such a short amount of time,” April Geyer said.
Elliott remains in critical condition with weeks of recovery ahead. His family is holding onto hope and using his story to remind parents to trust their gut, ask questions and never hesitate to seek further medical attention.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with medical expenses.
More information on strep symptoms and warning signs can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
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