Aidan's Story – A special supplement

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My Instincts Screamed out... something is very wrong!

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I knew in my heart the fever was directly related to Aidan’s vaccinations

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UR downhill struggle started on Wednesday, July 6, 2016, when I had flown to Coral Gables for my dentist appointment. Upon my return, that evening, Paulette Sands, a registered nurse who had looked after Aidan that day, had messaged me to say that during my absence, Aidan had been very sleepy, quiet, didn’t drink much milk or eat any solid foods and wasn’t his happy, energetic engaging self.

The message informed me that Aidan had a high temperature. Paulette confirmed that she had not given Aidan any medicine, but felt that I needed to keep an eye on him. I checked on Aidan, he was sound asleep and very hot. I checked his temperature, it was 102. I removed the blanket and put him in his cot/crib in our cool bedroom.

Dr. Steve Lochan:

Thursday, July 7, 2016: I woke up very early and checked Aidan’s temperature with a forehead thermometer and was shocked to see it blinking red and reading 104. Aidan wakened smiling up at me, happy and safe in my arms again.

I gave my little man a bottle of milk which he kept down after which he had a cool bath. Checking his temperature again confirmed that it was still high at 103. I called Dr. Lochan, Aidan’s paediatrician and booked Aidan in to see him within the next hour.

Dr. Lochan asked if I had given Aidan any Calpol, I replied that I had not. Dr. Lochan informed me that I should have given Aidan Calpol first before bringing him to the clinic to see if it brought down his fever. An appropriate answer, but being a first-time mother I felt it was better to be safe than sorry.

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Aidan’s temperature rose to 107 at one point, which was terrifying

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Dr. Lochan checked Aidan’s temperature, it was high, he then checked his ears, eyes and looked into his mouth and concluded that Aidan had a viral infection.

Dr. Lochan administered Calpol to Aidan and sent us home. Aidan was given the amount of Calpol that the Doctor recommended, yet the fever persisted. We used cold wash cloths to soothe Aidan, but the fever did not diminish.

Dr. Marcia Bassett:

The morning of Friday, July 8, 2016.

Paulette Sands arrived. I updated her on Aidan’s visit to Dr. Lochan and the doctor’s diagnoses of a viral infection.

Aidan still had a fever, Paulette called Dr. Lochan’s clinic and Dr. Marcia Bassett was on call. We updated her on Aidan’s visit, diagnoses and Aidan’s ongoing symptoms. Her response was: “Aidan is a big baby boy, he is just seven-months old, weighs 24 pounds and is in the 99 percentile for height (Aidan was extremely tall) he needs double the amount of Calpol suggested and alternate it with Ibuprofen every couple of hours.”

Still, the fever persisted. We tried everything from cool baths, to cold wash cloths and making sure the rooms were cool, but the fever would not break.

Something felt very wrong, my instincts were screaming again. I knew in my heart that the fever was directly related to Aidan’s recent vaccinations. I prayed for my instincts to be wrong.

After constantly calling Dr. Bassett by phone throughout the day and evening of Friday the 8th and the morning of Saturday 9th, she finally told us to come to Dr. Lochan’s clinic. She was on call that holiday weekend so we could meet her there.

Saturday, July 9, 2016.

At the private clinic, Dr. Bassett checked Aidan’s temperature, which was still very high. She agreed with Dr. Lochan that Aidan had a viral infection.

At this point, Aidan now had purple/ red rash/dots all over his feet and hands. I asked her what it could be, she inspected quickly and said, “It’s ok, it’s NOT meningitis”. I said, “Ok, but what is it? It wasn’t visible yesterday.” She looked again but did not say anything. However, she was concerned that Aidan’s persistent fever that had started the previous Wednesday was still very much present.

Dr. Bassett decided it was best for Aidan to go straight over to Doctors Hospital for his CBC’s (blood work). Aidan had his CBC’s done and then I took him home.

When we arrived home that Saturday afternoon, I called Dr. Bassett on the private number she had given me at Dr. Lochan’s paediatric clinic; she informed me that she would have the blood results

What happened, how could you be so wrong, it’s unbelievable! in the morning (Sunday, July 10). I updated her on Aidan’s condition with calls and WhatsApp messages throughout the day and evening. At this point Aidan’s condition had deteriorated, he was now projectile vomiting his milk, squinting as if he couldn’t see properly, his tummy was distended and around 2 am Sunday, he started to produce loose stools. We bathed Aidan in cool to cold water. Aidan’s temperature rose to 107 at one point, which was terrifying. I called and messaged Dr. Bassett through the night. Aidan eventually fell asleep.

larger than the other. I called Dr. Bassett again; I wasn’t calm this time, I said something is seriously wrong. We decided to go straight to the ER at Doctors Hospital. Doctor Bassett wasn’t there to meet us, but thankfully Doctor Omala Ablack was on duty.

Dr. Marcia Bassett:

EVENING: Sunday, July 10, 2016.

MORNING: Sunday, July 10, 2016: Dr. Marcia Bassett finally called us in the morning to say that Aidan’s CBC’S were ‘NORMAL’. His lymph nodes were slightly elevated, which was to be expected due to Aidan having a viral infection. Other than that she persisted that Aidan’s blood work was normal. I was surprised. I asked: “Are you sure?” I explained all Aidan’s symptoms, the old and the new, the red/ purple dots/rash on his hands and feet had spread up his legs, arms and back now and was very prominent. Still, Dr. Marcia Bassett wasn’t concerned, she repeated: “His bloods are normal, therefore it can’t be anything serious.”

I wasn’t convinced, my instincts, the heavy feeling in my heart intensified. Something was wrong, how could Aidan’s blood be normal. Dr. Bassett was satisfied with Aidan’s CBC’S results, yet I couldn’t relax, I felt no relief.

Thankfully I was like a mosquito, I kept on and on and on at Dr. Bassett, I must have driven her crazy all weekend. She suggested that I take Aidan to ER on Monday (11th) morning if his symptoms persisted.

It was early Sunday evening when the horrifying realization hit me, I said to my mother-in-law, “Aidan is dying, I know he is.”

My mother-in-law was changing Aidan’s diaper when she called for me to come over straight away. Aidan’s scrotum was blue in colour and one of his testicles was

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Dr. Omala Ablack: Dr. Omala Ablack took Aidan’s CBC’S. While waiting for the results to be processed and returned, I updated Dr. Ablack on the events of the last few days. At this point Aidan was staring up at the ceiling, was distant, not engaging at all, he was still, pale and deathly silent.

Aidan’s blood work came back. Doctor Omala Ablack said: “Lizzy, Robert, this cannot be correct, let me do the blood tests again.”

“Why?” I asked, “what do they say?”

She had the tests redone. While we waited she explained: “If this were correct Aidan would be in need of an emergency blood transfusion, but they can’t be correct as Aidan looks well.”

I said: “No he doesn’t, he may have fair skin and light eyes, but his skin is very pale, usually he has an olive tone to his skin and this red/purple rash all over his body is not normal to his skin.”

The nurse walked back in the room to inform us that Aidan’s CBC’s had come back the same. I exclaimed: “Omala?” a questioning plea in my voice. She quickly left the room.

Dr. Marcia Bassett arrived at Doctors Hospital after Dr. Omala Ablack had summoned her along with Dr. Connie SinQuee Brown and Doctor Yashica Seymour. To me, such quick decisions reflected Dr.

Ablack’s competence. I will always be grateful for her professionalism, but at that point, I was beyond furious with Dr. Bassett.

I will never forget that fateful evening on Sunday, July 10, 2016, in the emergency room at Doctors Hospital in Nassau. Dr Marcia Bassett, who in my opinion had let us down, more importantly, let our sevenmonth-old son down who was in her care.

Aidan had suffered tremendously, but now here she was, finally, and wouldn’t leave all night. Too little too late. When she eventually entered Aidan’s room to examine him, it was very apparent how ill he was. He was not engaging at all, just staring up at the ceiling, lifeless.

I demanded: “How could you tell me this morning that Aidan’s CBC’S were normal and yet hours later he needs an emergency blood transfusion? What happened, how could you be so wrong, it’s unbelievable!”

Raising her voice with obvious concern and

confusion, she replied: “I don’t know, I just don’t know...” At this point, my husband, Robert, pulled me out of the room to calm me down.

Later that evening: Marcia Bassett was quietly sitting in a corner. I walked over to her and asked: “If I had not constantly called and messaged you, hounded and harassed you, practically begged you for help and advice 24/7 and I had brought Aidan in the following day being Monday 11th (today was Sunday 10th) as you suggested, what would have happened to my son?”

She lifted her head, a face full of what appeared to me to be remorse and possibly regret, she looked at me briefly before turning away and speaking in almost a

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Aidan’s life threatening disease was triggered by one or more of his vaccines whisper, she replied: “He would have bled on the brain.”

Again she lowered her head. I stood staring at her a moment longer, then walked away, disgusted and ashamed that I had put any trust in her.

We later discovered that the purple/ red dots on Aidan’s hands and feet were “petechiae”, a sign of an underlying blood disorder.... (critically low platelets).

Look at the lab work reprinted here with the words big and bold “CRITICAL RESULTS READ TO AND BACK FROM DR. BASSETT”.

According to the Lab Reports, the “Critical Results” had been called to and read back from Dr. Marcia Bassett on “Saturday, July 9” the very same day that Aidan had his blood work done. However, it wasn’t until the following morning that Dr. Bassett contacted us with the results, which she said were ‘NORMAL’ — contrary to the document from Doctors Hospital.

Now I can read CBC’s WELL ENOUGH, thanks to being educated by Miami Children’s Hospital. I cannot understand for the life of me, how Dr. Bassett could have got this so very wrong, plus she waited until the next morning to give me the results when, according to the lab report, she had them

read to her the day before, the same day that the blood work was carried out.

Even if she could not read CBC’s herself, she can, as any human can, read “CRITICAL RESULTS” and understand what that would mean and have the baby rushed to the hospital. Instead, she made me feel like a crazy over-reacting mother, when in fact if I hadn’t been persistent, my seven-month-old baby boy would have died.

He had suffered tremendously for well over 24 hours.

Dr Connie SinQuee Brown ordered an immediate blood transfusion, she had Aidan stay the night at Doctors hospital, she then arranged an ambulance and had Aidan immediately transferred to the Princess Margaret Hospital where he spent another two nights in their ICU, Aidan deteriorated further, on the morning of Wednesday, July 13, 2016 we arranged an air ambulance and Aidan was flown to Miami Children’s Hospital, straight into their PICU. Within the hour a wonderful male doctor came and sat with me, he asked: “Mommy what happened, when did your son become sick?”

I told the doctor Aidan was a healthy, happy baby boy until his last set of delayed vaccines, and explained all the symptoms

that transpired within two weeks of his vaccines including and starting with projectile vomiting, first only his solids, later a persistent fever, distended tummy, rash, squinting and eventually projectile vomiting his milk and loose stools.

The doctor left and instantly relayed my story to the waiting oncologists, one of them, Dr. Maggie Fader on hearing my story, without even checking Aidan, called out that it could be HLH. “Let’s have a look at him.”

Later that evening the same male doctor popped in to see me again.

He explained the diagnoses the oncologist Dr. Maggie Fader thought it to be but would confirm with the pathologists for sure in the morning with the blood tests taken from Aidan. I asked what the diagnoses were. He smiled kindly as he said “Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis” and went on to explain a little.

I asked do you have a shorter version of that?

“When you search put in HLH read as much as you can on HLH to educate and prepare yourself,” he replied.

As soon as the doctor left, I googled HLH...

It read “‘A life-threatening autoimmune disease”

A primary/genetic HLH came up first... I wasn’t convinced at all, except he had all the symptoms of HLH... then I searched some more and there it was, “Secondary” HLH triggered by either a virus, and/or bacteria, or an infection, Known triggers included EBV, CMV, Dengue fever, “Vaccinations”, Cancers, etc, etc.

As soon as I saw the “vaccinations” I knew there and then it was “Secondary” HLH without a shadow of a doubt.

The next morning the pathologists confirmed that Aidan had HLH with blood tests alone he needed at least five out of eight to test positive and he had five positives.

That morning Aidan had a bone marrow aspirate and was tested negative for cancers and tumours.

EBV, CMV, Dengue Fever and all other known Secondary triggers came back NEGATIVE, they could not find any underlying triggers.

Cells and bloods were sent to the “HLH Centre Of Excellence” Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for genetic testing.

Aidan had NO genetic markers at all.

Therefore, Aidan’s HLH was determined to be “Secondary” HLH. With all known secondary triggers coming back negative, specialists finally paid attention to Aidan’s

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six months vaccinations, the evidence was overwhelming - Aidan’s life-threatening autoimmune disease “Secondary” HLH was triggered by one or more of his vaccines.

Months later Dr. Patrick Brown, Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Centre Paediatric Leukaemia Programme and Associate Professor of Oncology & Assistant Professor Paediatrics Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Children’s Hospital, would tell us: “The first lesson Aidan taught me was that our understanding of HLH is incomplete.

When HLH happens in very young babies, like Aidan, the explanation is nearly always a genetic mutation in the patient’s immune cells that prevents them from turning off.

The infection isn’t the problem — it’s the patient’s immune system. It was a shock, then, when Aidan’s mutation testing came

back negative. He did NOT have an HLH mutation. What we learned was that sometimes a stimulus to the immune system is so strong that even a normal immune system develops HLH. In Aidan’s case, this stimulus was one or more of the vaccines he received when he was six months old in the Bahamas. He was not the only child who developed HLH after vaccinations in that area around the same time. Aidan taught us that HLH in young patients is not necessarily a genetic disease — an important lesson that I will never forget.

“The treatment of HLH is difficult, to say the least.” Dr. Brown continued. “The only way we in the medical field know to turn off the immune switch that HLH activates is with very strong chemotherapy drugs. One of these drugs, called etoposide, is very

effective in curing HLH, and thankfully it was in Aidan’s case.

“Unfortunately, etoposide has a very small risk of actually causing a deadly form of blood cancer called treatment-related acute myeloid leukaemia (t-AML).

“Aidan was one of those rare patients that developed t-AML after being treated with etoposide.”

Aidan died on Christmas Eve, 2017 – exactly one month after his second birthday.

Mistakes do happen in life, sadly even in the medical field, not just here in the Bahamas but around the world – we are all human.

I am a firm believer that we all should own our mistakes no matter how big or small and in Aidan’s case, his too-short life ended in tragedy.

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Owning, showing remorse, being sorry and accountable... to do better... I can forgive anyone who is truly sorry. Who is accountable, who learns by being better.

I feel strongly that Aidan was badly let down.

I am hoping that those in the medical profession will ensure the professionals in whom we place our trust - at every level - go on to their wards fully equipped with the knowledge they need to do the best for their patients. They must also ensure the education of medical practitioners continues as advances in how we can treat certain diseases are made.

If Aidan’s story can help save a life – at least one precious life – then our brave little boy Aidan will not have died in vain.

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