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Katie Hauge's niece Kinsley was hospitalized with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) at Boston Children's Hospital on Friday, Nov. 4, Hauge said in a GoFundMe campaign.
Kinsley's parents, Josh and Mariah, have been traveling from Cape Cod to Boston to visit their daughter while she remains in the intensive care unit, Hauge said.
"With Kinsley only being 6 weeks into this world and the lack of maternity leave benefits available, Mariah spends the majority of her leave in Boston," she wrote. "Josh has been taking work off to be there for Mariah and her."
RSV is a common illness that impacts the nose, throat and lungs and can be especially detrimental in babies and children under 5, according to MassGeneral Hospital for Children. The virus is also more common in the fall and winter months, the hospital reports.
According to a new study from British and Dutch scientists, almost 2% of healthy infants are hospitalized with RSV before they turn 1, NBC10 Boston reports. Most are younger than 3 months and one in 18 infants will need intensive care, the outlet continues.
Mass General Brigham, the state's largest healthcare provider, saw 1,000 RSV cases in the first week of November and 2,000 cases in October overall, Dr. Brian Cummings told NBC10 Boston. Cummings said the surge is a product of the coronavirus pandemic.
"A lot of RSV was not being spread in the previous years," he told the outlet. "Now that it's circulating a little more typically, there are many more people susceptible."
The hospital has since reached capacity in the wake of the recent RSV surge, with families like Kinsley's having to spend a lot of time and energy tending to their sick children.
"The cost of the daily trips to Boston to be with their child, the lack of available paid leave for both of the parents, and the accumulating medical bills are all adding up," Hauge said. "This has been a very sad/worrisome time for our family as Kinsley is only brand new to this world and deserves that fighting chance."
People looking to donate to Kinsley's family and get updates on her journey can click here. More information about RSV can be found at MassGeneral's website.
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