Nashville 7-year-old intubated in hospital with RSV
Doctors told his mom the RSV season hit hard this year.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A 7-year-old from Donelson is intubated on a ventilator in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) after contracting RSV.
Landon Binkley’s mom, Ashley Binkley, said he is stable. However, doctors put him on a muscle paralytic to keep him from moving and to help him rest his lungs.
“On Friday, he started running a fever and just had kind of mild cough, but it wasn’t much,” Ashley said. “Then Saturday, he started having some issues breathing, but I noticed and called his pediatrician.”
Landon was admitted to the hospital at Tristar Centennial Medical Center Saturday night. His mom said his breathing got worse on Sunday, so they put him on oxygen. Doctors tried to give him high-flow oxygen, but he wasn’t able to tolerate that. They decided Tuesday morning to intubate Landon and put him on a ventilator.
“I didn’t think he was going to need to be intubated,” Ashley said. “It was really hard for me.”
Last week, he went to both Vanderbilt Medical Center and Centennial for regular doctor appointments. Ashley said she thinks that’s where he contracted the virus.
According to the CDC, RSV season typically starts in the fall and peaks in the winter. However, doctors say a surge started early this year.
“Even though he’s already had it before, it’s really bad this year is what the doctor said,” Ashley said.
Further, kids born prematurely or who have underlying lung issues are at the highest risk of infection. Landon fits both — born at 24 weeks old with an immune deficiency and asthma. His mom has a word of caution for other parents.
“Especially for younger kids, like infants and babies, just be really careful who you’re out and about with,” Ashley said. “It’s one of those things where sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh, do I really need to go in?’ And when the pediatrician says it, yeah, I really do need to listen to what they say and go in.”
Landon will likely be on the ventilator for the next couple of days. His mom said it’s hard to predict, though, given his health history. She said he will be spending his now, third Thanksgiving in the hospital.
“Just praying that his lungs will just get the air that they need, and really just that he will get the rest that he needs,” she said.
Landon and his mom are Titans season-ticket holders. Ashley said he’s such a fan, that the team even donated money in his name to HopeKids, a nonprofit that helps give experiences to children with life-threatening or chronic illnesses. In the hardship of this week, Titans fans have rallied around Landon.
“They just love seeing his story, photos of him at the game,” Ashley said. “He’s just such a huge super fan that everyone just kind of likes following along to see how he is.”
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