A local mother said her newborn remained hospitalized for weeks after contracting RSV in early January.
Mariah Perera said she noticed her 3-month-old was having difficulty breathing on New Year’s Day.
She brought her daughter to a local hospital but was soon sent home.
“At first, she was very congested, and she was wheezing, but nothing serious, so I got out the dehumidifier that night,” she said.
She returned to a different hospital when her daughter did not improve. Eventually, her daughter was airlifted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
Perera said her daughter was on a ventilator for more than a week. After nearly three weeks in the hospital, she was able to bring her daughter home on Monday.
“If they didn’t fly her to Johns Hopkins when they did, my daughter was not going to make it,” said Perera.
Mariah Perera “It was hard when I tell you, I thought I was going to lose my daughter. I was ready to give up. My whole life was shattering. That’s my baby,” she said.
Her family created a GoFundMe page to give updates on Lailani, who became sick with RSV on Jan. 1.