Muskogee family forced to seek RSV treatment in Kansas for infant’s RSV case

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — A Muskogee mother said it took five hospital visits and nearly a month in the hospital to get her baby the help he needed to treat RSV. The mother said her infant son fought for his life and struggled to breath at times, but is thankfully home now.

Cooper Crain was three months old at the time. He’s now four months old. His mother, Carissa Crain, said last month Cooper wasn’t breathing right and knew something was wrong.

Between October 15th and October 29th, she said she took Cooper to five hospitals before getting an answer. She said her sister-in-law is a respiratory therapist and knew something was seriously wrong.

“You need to take him somewhere else. He’s that bad. He’s about to give up,” Carissa said.

That’s when they went to a hospital in Hastings.

“When he was retracting, so at his sternum he would suck in so hard you could tell it was painful and then he started sucking into his throat and every time he’d suck in you could tell it caused more pain. He would be getting weaker and his skin was turning white and blue around his lips,” she said.

From there, they life flighted Cooper to Topeka, Kansas where he finally received care and stayed until November 10th.

She said on their way home from Topeka, they had to stop in Coffeyville because Cooper’s oxygen levels dropped again. Carissa adds, Cooper probably still needs to be in the hospital because his oxygen levels drop at night.

Video: Muskogee mother urges people to stay home if they are sick.

According to the Oklahoma Viral Respiratory Illness Surveillance data, this year in Oklahoma cases are up 14.8 percent. Versus last year, cases were around eight percent and in 2020, two percent. According to data, cases spiked earlier than normal this year.

Carissa said they’re staying home for Thanksgiving. “We’re not even going to Thanksgiving because I can’t do that. I can’t have him get sick again,” she said.

She’s reminding families to keep kids safe this holiday season.

“If you’re sick, stay home. Don’t come around family, especially little kids. Don’t take your kids to school if they’re sick. Go to the doctor. Figure out what’s going on and don’t kiss babies,” Carissa said.