Michigan Boy Loses Both Legs After Invasive Group Strep A Infection; CDC Issues Warning

New warnings have emerged after a bacterial infection caused a 7-year-old Black boy from Michigan to have his legs amputated.

Good Morning America reports Michele Stevenson of Grand Blanc thought her son, Kaden, had a stomach bug shortly before Christmas so she didn’t think anything of it. Kaden told his mother he felt tired. She allowed him to take it easy, thinking rest would help.

However, things started to get worse. Mother’s intuition kicked .

Stevenson decided to look him over. “Something just felt off, she said. “So I looked him over. His right leg was swollen. He had a rash all over his body. His eyes look puffy to me and it seemed like that all happened within a short period of time.”

She took him to the Hurley Children’s Hospital in Flint, but doctors there said Kaden needed higher-level care.

The young man was diagnosed with invasive strep A, a bacterial infection attacking multiple parts of the body, including bones, lungs and blood. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning last December after at least five children in Illinois reportedly died following infections.

Kaden was lucky. While starting his new life journey as a double amputee, his mother was honest with him about how other kids have lost their lives to this infection. “Kaden said the other little boy that died, he was sad that he died, but he was going to live for him. He was going to be strong for the little boy,” Stevenson said.

According to ABC News, Invasive group A strep is a dangerous but rare disease that causes close to 2,300 deaths in the United States every year. Cases of the infection are most commonly seen in children.

While her son waits for what he calls his “robot legs,” Stevenson is looking to raise awareness for other parents. “If your kid has any of those signs of fever, they complain of pain, you see any rashes, just take them to the emergency,” Stevenson said. “And listen to your kids. They tell you they don’t feel good? Don’t just sweep it under the rug, assuming that it’s a little cold. Get it checked out.”