Mesa mother warns other parents about impact of MIS-C in children

A Valley mother is wanting to raise awareness about multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), which is typically caused by COVID-19, and her daughter is still suffering from it.

The syndrome is rare and can be unpredictable. Reanna Milliman says the scariest part is all of the unknowns.

Her daughter, eight-year-old Raelynn, spent two-and-a-half weeks at Cardon Children’s in the intensive care unit because of the syndrome.

"The symptoms just came out of nowhere," Milliman says about her 8-year-old daughter.

She was diagnosed with the syndrome on March 14, inflaming different organs in her body.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MIS-C is explained as, "Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs."

"With her, it affected her GI system. All of her intestines were inflamed," her mother said.

Raelynn was diagnosed right around the time her family was sick with COVID-19. She tested negative but had the antibodies.

She went from feeling fine to feeling lethargic, spiked a high fever and lost her appetite in a matter of hours.

Raelynn progressively got worse.

"Air in her portal vein to her liver along with two blood clots. There was a surgery that was going to be on board as well. They were going to have to remove her entire colon because that’s how severe it was," Milliman said.

Thankfully because of other treatments, Raelynn didn't have to have that surgery.

Milliman says her daughter is improving, but unfortunately she isn't out of the woods just yet.

"Like the flu, you go home from the hospital after you’ve had the flu and that’s that, but with this, it’s a continuous thing and it can affect you for many years and possibly even a lifetime," her mother said.

Milliman is urging parents to take their children to the doctor right away if they notice anything that’s different or off.