In a truly moving story the heartbroken parents of a 12-day-old baby who sadly died after contracting a deadly virus from a cold sore have launched an awareness campaign in order for it not to happen again.
The brave parents John and Louise Wills have said they are launching their campaign “so other parents do not have to go through the same heart break.”
The grieving parents who tragically lost their daughter Eibhlin after just 12 days have set up the following website rememberingeibhlin.org which advises people not to kiss a baby if they have a cold sore and not to visit a new baby if they are sick.
The parents hope their campaign will make people more aware about taking extra precautions around new born babies, Both parents told Keelin Shanley on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke show their heartbreaking story of how baby Eibhlin lost her battle for life.
John and Louise said there had been no indication she was unwell before that. The day before she died she had been clingy but was not in pain or distress and seemed to “have a sniffle”.
However tragically baby Eibhlin deteriorated quickly and despite the best efforts of doctors she passed away the following day. After an extensive post mortem was carried out doctors discovered that she had died from the herpes virus caused by the common cold sore.
An emotional Mr Wills explained: “In 90% of cases the virus is transferred from mother to baby, but Louise was cleared. It came from another adult. The heel prick test taken when she was still in the hospital indicated that she had contracted it in the hospital. In the place where she should have been safest.
“We don’t know exactly when she got it, we just know it was shortly after birth. It came from someone within the hospital.”
Mrs Wills added: “We don’t want to scaremonger. We just want people to be aware and to be careful with cold sores.
“Awareness needs to be heightened.”