2-month-old Georgia baby dies after fight with RSV

DAHLONEGA , Ga. — A two-month-old Georgia baby has died after more than a month-long fight against RSV and rhinovirus.

Lilliah Shirley, of Dahlonega, was 7 weeks old when she was diagnosed with the respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, on Nov. 28, according to her family.

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The infant subsequently suffered from a brain bleed and seizures and was put on a ventilator, ECMO and dialysis. The community rallied around the family through prayer, a GoFundMe and a Mealtrain. The baby died on Tuesday.

“Sweet Lilliah fought a great fight and the Lord did preform miracles in her precious life,” Courtney Houston wrote on Facebook. “Her life she lived down on earth brought people together and allowed people to feel the love of God. She is no longer hurting or having to be in pain.”

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RSV is a common virus that most commonly affects young children by age two. Babies are at higher risk for severe RSV, which can cause breathing difficulty, dehydration, high fever and other serious symptoms.

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According to the Georgia Department of Public Health:

“Infants younger than 6 months of age, particularly premature infants (born before 37 weeks gestation, or at least one month early), generally have the more severe symptoms and often require hospitalization.

RSV cases in Georgia have sharply increased in the past few weeks.

Baby Lilliah’s family has set up a GoFundMe to help the family with medical and burial expenses. You can contribute HERE.

Respiratory illnesses on the rise as kids go back to school after the holidays

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