The Block star Lysandra Fraser has warned parents about the dangers of ignoring their children’s symptoms after her son was hospitalised.
Fraser told fans that her seven-year-old son Emerson had contracted croup, an upper airway infection that causes coughing, in a post to Instagram on Monday.
The mum-of-two, who appeared on the Channel Nine TV series with her twin sister Alisa in 2013, said she decided to share the awful news in a bid to help others.
Listen: How visiting someone in hospital can mean the world for the family. (Post continues…)
“It’s often a fine line deciding what we choose to share about our lives on social media. A lot we keep private and a lot we choose to share,” Fraser wrote.
“This one I’m deciding to share, not because I want everyone to know that Emerson is in hospital with croup, but because I was naive and thought that it was only babies and toddlers that suffered from severe cases of it.”
Fraser said she thought her sons Emerson and five-year-old Cohen were “past the danger age” of contracting the virus and ignored symptoms her son displayed.
“I ignored my generally strong instincts, passing it off as just a common cold. At 3am Emerson woke up with a nasty cough and he was struggling to take in any air.
“He was taken to hospital by ambulance and 18 hours later we are still here while they monitor him closely.”
Anticipating backlash for the post, Fraser said she knew “a lot of people might think that I am stupid and naive” for thinking that older children couldn’t develop croup.
“But for those who were under the same belief as me, I just want to let you know that it is certainly not the case. Trust your instincts, I wish I had a bit earlier.”
However, commenters were kind to the mum, aged in her early 30s, with messages of support and encouragement.
“Don’t be hard on yourself! I still have trouble deciding what’s croup and what’s his bad cough and he gets it every year!” wrote one mum.
“Poor guy. Hugs mumma bear. You did nothing wrong and got him the help he needed when he needed it. Hope you get to go home soon,” commented another follower.
We’re sending thoughts and positive energy your way, Emerson!
Top Comments
My son is 8 and has croup as we speak. It was only diagnosed after he suffered from it last year and the year before. The year before that we were on a merry go round of sickness and he had a consent croup cough for appox 3 months (it would start to clear and come back with the next round) while we would get better, I struggled to understand why he would have this lingering bark cough and my little girl and I didn't! That was when he was 6 and I was told by a couple of doctors that he was "too old" when I described what was happening with him, what bollocks! I regret not pushing harder when he was 6 but after many doctor visits, it got to the point that I had to record his cough when he was sleeping, followed by vomiting blood as his little airways could no longer take the cough after 3 months. I felt horrible then and still do (for not pushing harder) but when you visit doctors every few days and read that kids are "too old at 6" to have croup, I personally didn't know what else to do not knowing what it was. After buying cough syrups, vitamins (I was told to buy), panadol. warm baths, vick's vapor rub and so forth he finally got better on his own. Every time he gets sick now with a cold he gets the same croup cough that lingers (going on 6 days so far, this bout), it only took 1 doctor last year to listen and realize what it was, the same doctor told me that he had seen it in a 12 year old boy. Thank goodness I wasn't insane! Follow instinct and don't let anybody intimidate you with there "knowledge" of what they think it is! Some kids are pron to croup every time they get sick like our little boy!
I thought it was just babies and toddlers too 😬 Thanks for sharing