Little Harper: We’ll be keeping a close eye on her this winter

"It was last winter, and Harper had the sniffles and a cough. Karl and I assumed she just had a bit of a cold. But within hours, she became very sick. 

It was alarming to see how hard she was working to breathe, with her little ribs sucking in and tummy pulling up into her chest. 

While I knew in my heart that Harper needed medical help, I wasn’t sure at first if I was overreacting. Thankfully, my gut instinct took over and we took her to see our GP. 

Right there in the doctor’s office, Harper’s condition worsened. Her temperature skyrocketed and her heart rate was close to 200 beats per minute.  

Our doctor administered oxygen and called an ambulance. Within minutes, we were on our way to hospital. 

It was a long night as we sat in the hospital ward with Harper, trying to comfort her as a medical team worked to help her breathe. 

We were so relieved the next day when Harper responded well and was able to breathe unassisted. 

It’s been almost a year since our awful experience with RSV, and Harper still has a lingering wheeze. Doctors have explained that RSV can have a range of long-term health effects. We’ll be keeping a close eye on her this winter. 

We are sharing our RSV story in the hope that it will help other parents understand the realities of the virus and know when to seek medical help.” 

Jasmine Stefanovic, Sydney, NSW