GILBERT, AZ — A Gilbert family reached out to ABC15, hoping to bring attention to the medical staff they said saved their son.
It was two months ago when 1-year-old Tristan was admitted to the PICU with RSV and placed on a ventilator.
"We were kind of trying to hold off and she's like... 'I just, I don't want it to be too late because that happens and that can be more an emergency situation.' And so, that's why it was the right choice," said Sharee James, Tristan's mother.
According to Maricopa County Public Health, the most recent week from this RSV season shows 568 confirmed cases. That is much higher than this same time last year, which was 143 cases. The county has already seen more than 7,100 total RSV cases so far this season.
Tristan's parents saw first-hand how critical this virus can be and said there were many RSV patients at Banner Children's at Desert in Mesa.
"It just kind of sparked my thoughts when she said, 'We never get to see the babies before or after, you know, they leave here. We only get to see them while they're sick.' And right then and there, I was like... they've been doing such an amazing job and I know this has to be hard. So, I wanted to do something," said James.
Tristian's mother says she feels grateful the nurses and respiratory therapists were there for her son, and other children, every step of the way. She hopes to show them how her son is doing now.
"I honestly didn't expect to walk out of there with the support that we did, and the reassurance, and the doctors, and everything was just amazing. We even, were there so much we did the roundups with the doctors in the morning at the door, and they would wait for us. They're like, 'Oh, I'm pretty sure they want to be in here.' And so, they would let us know and we would all gather and we just really felt like a team with them," said James.
Tristan turned one on February 1 and took his first steps just days before that and while he is still recovering, you can hardly tell.
"A week after getting out of the hospital, you can see the spirit start coming back, and like him starting to be more active and things like that," said Kevin Brown, Tristan's father.
Tristan's parents want to let the medical staff at Banner Children's know they are appreciated and are making a difference.
"At the end of the day, because of them and they're around the clock care, he's here," added James.
