"Why My Son?" Asks Mum After 10YO Son's Legs & Arms Are Amputated Following Rare Complications From a COVID-19 Infection

Dae-Shun's whole family had tested for COVID-19 a few months back. Back then the boy was asymptomatic. Two weeks later he fell sick.

Cover image source: GoFundMe

By Sameeksha Thomas

February 26, 2021

Posted February 26, 2021

Monday, February 22, was the most difficult moment for Brittney Autman because she had to see her 10-year-old son's heart break into a million pieces as both his hands and legs were amputated. Dae-Shun Jamison's limbs had to be amputated after he developed a rare but serious condition which is being linked to COVID-19.

Dae-Shun had been suffering from Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children. It is a rare condition where various body parts like the brain, heart, and lungs suffer from inflammation, according to CDC. The usual symptoms are fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, and fatigue.

However, Brittney wasn't aware of what her son was going through. “They told me that he had MIS-C and I didn’t understand what it was. I’ve never heard of this, didn’t have a clue about it,” she told Fox8 News. As a result, Dae-Shun underwent surgery in January, in which his right leg was amputated.

Pediatric doctors around the world are trying to find out more about MIS-C because according to them, just like COVID-19, this disease is also new and the doctors are not yet aware of the full extent of it.

Dr. Rosemary Olivero, who is a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, divulged, “We see it happen in children that are otherwise healthy, so it does make it very challenging. The general way it’s going to go (is) you have the (coronavirus) infection, mild or not, you recover and then you develop this new illness that looks very different from an acute respiratory COVID."

It started with COVID-19 for little Dae-Shun as well. The little boy was asymptomatic when his whole family contracted the virus a few months ago. Two weeks later Britteny noticed that her son wasn't keeping well. “I noticed he started laying around. He said he had a headache and then the day before I took him in, the day I took him in, he had a high fever,” she said.

Boy, 10, Has Hands and Leg Amputated in Battle with COVID https://t.co/8ABu4UubgQ
— People (@people) February 24, 2021

The GoFundMe page set up by the distressed mother journals the hard journey Dae-Shun has been going through since the diagnosis. Talking to WXMI, Britteny said, "They say don't question God, but I don't understand, why my son? I wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else's child, but why me?" She's also a mother to a 7-year-old daughter.

Right after the first surgery, the boy's family was informed that more limbs would have to be removed in a few week's time. "He understood that when he wake up his leg will not look the same," the mum wrote in an update on the donation page. "Dae'Shun completely broke down in tears which affected me in so many ways, I can't believe this is really happening to my baby."

On February 14, the boy's left leg along with both his hands was amputated. Giving an update, Britteny wrote on the page, "Surgery went good they are trying to get his pain under control. Dae’Shun is very emotional about his amputations and it breaks my heart. Please keep the prayers coming." She later added that a feeding tube was attached to his belly so that he could eat.

Michigan boy with rare COVID condition to require amputation

The 10-year-old boy from Shelby, Mich., has been in the hospital since December 21.

They have a GoFundMe. Please feel free to share it. https://t.co/TGX8bAZ1S9
— 🌹Dogs4ZeroCOVID🐾 (@BernieDogs4) January 14, 2021

The mum has successfully raised $132,758 out of the set goal of $150,000. Post recovery from the latest surgeries, Dae-Shun will be put through rehabilitation therapy to get used to his new life. Mum, Britteny is very optimistic about her son's recovery. She said, "I'm trying to find ways to get him back to the way he was as much as possible."

Hoping that the next step that her son takes would be on prosthetics, Britteny said, “That’s my goal for him. That’s what I want for him," reported WGN9. Stressing on how she'll cross any limit to get her son the happiness he deserves, she added, “Every single day. As long as he’s here, I’m here."