It was December 2022 when Caden Stevenson, then 7 years old, alerted his mother, Michelle Stevenson, that he was not feeling well. Until then, the woman believed the symptoms were due to a cold or a virus.
But after four days, his condition worsened and he started complaining of pain in his right leg. Her grandmother alerted Michelle about the deteriorating condition, and it was then that Michelle discovered that Caden’s leg was swollen and that he had a rash all over his body. The boy had to pass through emergency rooms at two hospitals before being transported by helicopter to a specialized treatment center where a pediatric orthopedic surgeon planned to relieve the pain in his leg.
His diagnosis came soon after: influenza and streptococcal infections. He went into toxic shock due to complications from the flu, which allowed bacteria to enter his bloodstream.
“They ended up finding out he had a strep infection, influenza and sepsis,” Michelle told ABC News. Caden’s heart, liver, and kidneys began to fail due to the toxic shock.
Then the boy began a series of surgeries. First, doctors needed to remove dead tissue from Caden’s right leg, including the entire calf muscle.
Two weeks later, he was told that his legs would have to be amputated because the infection had spread to his bloodstream.
Caden’s right leg was amputated above the knee, and his left leg was amputated below the knee. He was then admitted to Mary Free Rehabilitation Hospital, where he spent four weeks recovering. The estimate is that as he grows, Caden will still need more surgeries.
“The most important thing to me is that my son regained his confidence and independence, and he did so with the help of the medical team,” Michelle told WZZM.
Caden’s mother also stated that she told her son not to give up. “That’s the most important thing. Never give up. Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight.”
Now, at 10 years old, he and his family, in collaboration with Families Fighting Flu, are raising awareness of the dangers and complications of influenza and encouraging everyone, of all ages, to get vaccinated.
Michel Slavkowski, the group’s executive director, told the website that the organization is working to “increase awareness and education to help people get vaccinated and understand the seriousness of influenza.”