LOVELAND, Colo. — At a time when most memories are now made virtually, on a screen, a quick search on YouTube will give you a glimpse into Wally's World.
The four-year-old's YouTube channel is one his mom vows to update more frequently now, as they embrace his second chance at life.
In December, Wally was diagnosed with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, also called MIS-C, a rare condition found in children that are often battling COVID-19.
"I got a rash, so we had to go to the children's hospital," the four-year-old explained via Zoom.
Wally's mom and Loveland resident Melissa Matz said that what started as a fever and rash after a COVID-19 diagnosis quickly turned into stomach pains and severe dehydration.
"They did a bunch of bloodwork at the ER, and they said he probably needed to go to Children's [Hospital], where they diagnosed him with MIS-C," she said.
MIS-C is a rare COVID complication that has impacted roughly 1,600 kids in the country since mid-May. Colorado recorded a record number of 29 cases in December.
"As those cases in our community went up, there were probably more cases of COVID-19 in children and therefore more cases of this complication," 9Health Medical Expert Dr. Payal Kohli explained.
Kohli said statistically, the condition is diagnosed more often in boys than in girls. After Wally was diagnosed, doctors were able to start treatment quickly and had him back home a day before Christmas.
Matz said Wally is now part of a nationwide study being conducted by Pediatric Heart Network and HealthCore to monitor the long term effects MIS-C has on children.
"It's a new thing, so there's not a lot answers, and that can be really frustrating," she said. "It can make you angry. It can make you desperate. I don't want people to have to go through those same feelings."
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