Please click on the Meningitis-Angel above to learn more of this disease, now I would like to tell you my story.
My Son Kyle
First let me say - Please go to those web pages and learn more about this disease. I wish I knew about bacterial meningitis (and I know a lot of other parents who feel the same) before it took the life of the most precious person I have ever met. My son.
Kyle was born on Sept. 28, 2001. He weighed in at 5’14oz (full-term) and was 18 inches long. He was the most beautiful, wonderful baby, *Smile* who also had a temper and was very stubborn. He was everything I could have dreamed for and more. Kyle loved his family, food (that boy came out, discovered food and fell in love...My nickname for him was “Mama’s Little Piglet”). He also loved “Big Bird” and the color yellow. He was just starting to like “Scooby Doo” and anything with dogs.
Kyle died on Jan. 23, 2002. He was 13’15oz. and 24 1/2 inches tall (told ya he loved his food). This is the story I really need to tell you about, in hopes someone else can learn about this disease BEFORE it enters their lives, and also to help you not make the same mistakes I did.
On Jan. 22, 2002, we got up to start our day and everything was fine. We had a WIC appointment that morning. Kyle was happy, smiling, laughing and flirting with a little girl there. We were just about to leave when Kyle started getting grumpy. I figured he was sleepy (I had to wake him up when we left the house earlier). I put him in his car seat and we left WIC. I had just pulled out of the parking lot when Kyle started moaning. I pulled over to make sure nothing was poking him (nothing was), so I just drove straight home, not knowing what else to do. He was moaning the whole trip home (approx. 10 minutes), in his sleep. When I got home I took him out of his car seat and started rocking him, wanting to comfort him. As I rocked him, I could feel his temperature start rising. When I took it (this is about 20 min. from his first moan), his temp. was 101.3. I called his doctor and she said to give him Tylenol. I did and I started rocking Kyle again. About 10 - 15 minutes later, he felt warmer. At that point his fever was 102.1. I called his daddy at work and said I was taking Kyle to the ER. Kyle was in the ER approx. one hour after his first moan. His temperature was 102.9 when we reached the hospital.
After several hours in the ER, the doctor told me Kyle had a viral infection, sent him home and told me to give him Tylenol and Motrin. Later that evening, I started getting a bad feeling that something was really wrong with Kyle, but I thought I was just being paranoid. I mean I just had him at the ER, and a doctor told me he would be fine. So I ignored my feelings. Around 3:30 in the morning I finally broke Kyle’s fever, but he still wasn’t looking good. Rodney (Kyle’s daddy) had to go to work, and I told him I was taking Kyle back (he had started moaning again). After Rodney left I started getting dressed. I then went to get Kyle ready, when he suddenly started breathing really fast and hard. I grabbed him up and he suddenly went unconscious (Kyle went into a coma-like state, which he never came out of). I rushed him to the ER, where he went into respitory failure. Also, a horrible rash appeared. As they were working on Kyle, the Social Worker suggested (asked me) if there was any family I wanted to call. I called Kyle’s daddy. As I was waiting for Rodney (I was basically in shock, I couldn’t believe Kyle was so sick), the doctor from the day before came to me and apologized. He kept repeating, "I’m not a baby doctor, I didn’t know." (That is a whole other story that I am going to do something about). Anyway, Kyle was transferred to Children’s Hospital in Dallas. Rodney and I followed behind the ambulance, as long as we could. The ambulance all of a sudden turned on their sirens and took off. We found out later Kyle went into cardiac arrest. When we saw that ambulance take off like that, we started calling family. At Children’s, when the doctor finally came out and spoke to us, that is when we were told Kyle’s heart had stopped already 5 times. We also was told that Kyle had Meningococcemia, bacterial meningitis. About a 1/2 hour later, we were standing outside of the room Kyle was in, and watched him die.
My advice to ALL PARENTS is - go with your gut feelings, no matter what anyone else says. Also, learn the signs and symptoms. It is better to know about this disease, and never have to face it, then to have no knowledge and have it mutilate or kill someone you love so very much.
Terri Hooker/ Kyle’s mommy 4 ever
In Loving Memory
Kyle Evan Vigil
09/28/01 ~ 01/23/02
HAVE YOU HUGGGED YOUR CHILD(REN) TODAY?
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Click on the heart above to visit a page that Memories made for Kyle on his 1st Angel Day. Memories is a wonderful woman that I have met in my Heavens Angels group. Thank you so much Memories.
Click above
to see Kyle's Memorial Quilt
See Kyle's star on page 7
Another great newsletter for bereaved parents.
My "Sista" Cuppy made this graphic "Kyle with Angel Wings" for Kyle's Angel Day. Thank you.
Thank you "Sista" Juli for the hard work, graphics and love in building this website.
