A 10-year-old Vernon girl is battling back from an infection that escalated quickly and could have proved fatal.
Brandie Narivonchik has organized a fundraiser for her neighbour Amanda Johnson, whose daughter Fayth had a scary ride through the hospital system.
On Dec. 18, Fayth woke up for school feeling pretty under the weather. Her mom decided it would be better to stay home and rest, says Narivonchik.
Over the next few days, symptoms worsened and at-home treatments were no longer working, so Fayth's mother took her to emergency at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.
"After a wait in emergency and a quick doctor's visit, they were sent home with your usual 'rest, fluids, Tylenol' recommendation," says Narivonchik.
"The very next day, she woke up with a swollen eye and was lethargic and incoherent. They rushed her back to emergency, where she received antibiotics, some blood work and tests and sent her back home to rest.
"When the tests came back the following morning, the severity of what was happening became real for this family. Fayth had contracted strep throat, and the bacteria quickly spread to her blood, which formed a blood clot behind her eye."
Her mother adds: "We got a call at 5 a.m. saying we needed to bring our daughter back to the hospital as her blood work came back positive, and if gone untreated, she could pass away ... not something a parent ever wants to hear."
Fayth was transported to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, where it was further found she also had influenza.
After a week at RIH, Fayth was transferred back to Vernon Jubilee for continued IV therapy for the infection and to monitor the situation with the blood clot behind her eye.
"She is getting better slowly, but will be on antibiotics until Feb. 9," says Johnson.
Meanwhile, the entire family of six has also had to go on antibiotics, as the condition is contagious.
Johnson has been by her daughter's side the whole time in hospital, and costs have piled up.
"This has been I huge stress on our family," she said.
As of Monday, the had raised $1,095 towards a goal of $5,000.
