Mother says SJS awareness is a must: 'Ignorance is not bliss'
April 27th, 2010 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
My son was 2.5 years old when he was admitted to the Children’s Hospital on Nov 7th, 2009, in Winnipeg, MB Canada. I also had never heard of SJS. Today, it is all I think about.
The mother of young Liam refers to herself simply as Melanie. But she so identified with Avi Selk’s recent Dallas Morning News story about a rare skin condition known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS, that she felt compelled to comment on the story.
My son was very ill. He was the first child they had ever had in that hospital that had needed to be incubated to save his airway, to keep him breathing,.. the first child that hospital had ever had in PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) fighting for his life.
SJS is a life-threatening condition that begins with a rash on the skin. The rash blisters over and the skin begins to peel off in sheets, exposing the body to infections. Blisters can form on the eyes and internal organs, leading to complications with the eyes, bowels and digestive system. In severe cases, the condition can be fatal.
While the cause of SJS is still baffling, most believe that it is caused by an allergic reaction to medication. As many as 2,000 drugs have been linked to SJS, most often antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-seizure medications. The only drug found in Liam’s system at the time of his diagnosis was Children’s Motrin, a common over-the-counter medication that Liam had taken numerous times before.
My son was the picture of health. SJS stormed in our lives, it is forever in my mind and I am forever haunted, waiting for its return. Without knowing the ACTUAL trigger,.. I live in constant fear.
People need to know about SJS, doctors needs to know about SJS… ignorance is not bliss.