Baby Julie mystery kicks off SJS awareness month
August 26th, 2010 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
Discovery Channel viewers who watched a recent episode of Mystery Diagnosis were as stumped as doctors when the show featured the case of Baby Julie, a 10-month-old who began taking anti-seizure medication after suffering two seizures. Shortly afterward, her eyes swelled shut and she developed strange blisters on her back. She was diagnosed with conjunctivitis, or red eye, in both eyes and the common childhood virus, chickenpox. But her condition worsened.
Mystery Diagnosis usually ends each episode with a solid diagnosis and summary on the patient’s prognosis. But the Baby Julie story had no resolution, which prompted viewers to research symptoms and make their own diagnosis, all in an effort to stop Baby Julie’s suffering. “Stevens Johnson Syndrome,” one YouTube viewer commented.
“This is Jean McCawley. Julie is my daughter, and yes, it was Stevens Johnson Syndrome,” responded Baby Julie’s mother. The story actually unfolded more than a decade ago and baffled doctors for months before the little girl was correctly diagnosed. “Julie was actually saved by a nurse. She went above and beyond to convince the doctors that they had misdiagnosed her,” Jean said. Her daughter, however, still suffers from side effects from the condition, including blindness.
Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS, is a life threatening allergic reaction to medication that presents with a rash or blisters on the skin. More than 2,000 medications have been linked to SJS.
Baby Julie’s story has prompted thousands of views on YouTube, and coincided with Stevens Johnson Syndrome Awareness Month this month. Jean urges viewers to find out more about SJS before someone they love becomes affected. For more information, visit the Stevens Johnson Syndrome Foundation.