{"id":13716,"date":"2026-03-07T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=13716"},"modified":"2026-03-11T21:33:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T21:33:45","slug":"my-sons-mouth-was-covered-in-blisters-doctors-refused-to-take-us-seriously","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/07\/my-sons-mouth-was-covered-in-blisters-doctors-refused-to-take-us-seriously\/","title":{"rendered":"My son\u2019s mouth was covered in blisters \u2013 doctors refused to take us seriously"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\"Left:\t<\/div>
Despite me sharing my fears that Mylo was seriously ill, the doctors wouldn\u2019t believe me (Picture: Elaine Adams)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018It\u2019s Hand, Foot and Mouth disease<\/a>,\u2019 said a hospital doctor, confidently.<\/p>\n

\u2018That\u2019s what you thought last time, but you were wrong,\u2019 I insisted.<\/p>\n

It was December 2025 and I\u2019d brought my five-year-old son, Mylo, to hospital after discovering blisters<\/a> around and inside his mouth.<\/p>\n

I was terrified; I knew it was serious.<\/p>\n

But despite me sharing my fears that Mylo was seriously ill<\/a>, the doctors wouldn\u2019t believe me.<\/p>\n

I broke down in tears of frustration. I knew my son, and I knew<\/em> <\/strong>there was something very wrong.<\/p>\n

But they sent us home.<\/p>\n

It started in November 2024 when Mylo woke up with blisters on his hands and mouth. The doctor thought it looked like Hand, Foot and Mouth disease \u2013 a common childhood<\/a> illness \u2013 and advised paracetamol, Ibuprofen, and fluids.<\/p>\n

The following day, though, Mylo\u2019s eyes were swollen and the blisters in his mouth were so sore he wouldn\u2019t drink, so I took him to hospital.<\/p>\n

Mylo was admitted <\/strong>for three nights (they thought it was Hand, Foot and Mouth with a \u2018super infection\u2019 known as Gingivostomatitis), and given IV fluids and antiviral medication.<\/p>\n

He seemed to improve; but as soon as we got home, <\/strong>his lips and eyes swelled back up, so he was re-admitted.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Rachel\t<\/div>
It started when Mylo woke up with blisters on his hands and mouth (Picture: Elaine Adams)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This time, <\/strong>one doctor told me she thought he had Stevens-Johnson Syndrome<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Do <\/strong>not<\/em> Google it,\u2019 she said, emphatically.<\/p>\n

Of course, I went straight online \u2013 and gasped.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a serious skin disorder; and that one cause for children can be cold- or flu-like infections.<\/p>\n

Doctors said the best they could do was make Mylo comfortable and let the condition run its course. <\/p>\n

He was seen by the eye doctors every day because, they said, <\/strong>the severe inflammation could lead to scarring, corneal damage, inward-turning eyelashes \u2013 and, at worst, even blindness<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t bear thinking about.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Rachel\t<\/div>
I knew my son, and I knew<\/em> <\/strong>there was something very wrong (Picture: Elaine Adams)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was horrific. I was so scared but tried to keep upbeat when I was with Mylo and only broke down in tears when I left the room. I didn\u2019t want to show him how worried I was.<\/p>\n

After five days, the swelling went down and we could take him home.<\/p>\n

Fast forward 13 months \u2013 and in December 2025, Mylo was off school with a cough and cold.<\/p>\n

Five days later, I noticed a blister on his lip. \u2018I don\u2019t like the look of that,\u2019 I said to my partner, Chris, who reminded me that the doctors had suggested a recurrence was very unlikely. But within an hour, I noticed another blister inside Mylo\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n

That was it. A horrible sense of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu hit me.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Rachel\t<\/div>
I wasn\u2019t taking no for an answer, says Elaine (Picture: Elaine Adams)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We took Mylo to hospital; and that\u2019s when I broke down in tears of frustration when the doctors insisted we go home.<\/p>\n

\u2018This just isn\u2019t right,\u2019 I thought, desperately, as we drove away. Sure enough, Mylo\u2019s temperature spiked that night; so, yet again, back to the hospital we went.<\/p>\n

This time, I wasn\u2019t taking no for an answer.<\/p>\n

Luckily, doctors finally saw how unwell Mylo was and he was admitted.<\/p>\n

This time was much worse than the last. It was all utterly terrifying and my head was spinning.<\/p>\n

Mylo tested positive for chickenpox<\/a>, which doctors thought might have triggered the recurrence. His lips swelled and blistered so much that he couldn\u2019t even drink water through a straw.<\/p>\n

\n

He couldn\u2019t speak because of the blisters in his mouth, so our interactions were limited to nods or thumbs-up<\/p>\n

Quote<\/title><title>Quote<\/title><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The swelling and blisters covered his eyes and genitals.<\/p>\n<p>Chris and I stayed with him, as he was on morphine and with a nasal NG tube, which went through his nose and into his stomach to give him liquid food, and I held a bowl under his mouth to catch the drool that was pouring out. He couldn\u2019t speak because of the blisters in his mouth, so our interactions were limited to nods or thumbs-up.<\/p>\n<p>This time he was diagnosed with RIME, Reactive Infectious Mucocutaneous Eruption, which closely mimics Stevens-Johnson syndrome and is usually triggered by an infection. These doctors couldn\u2019t be sure, but they suspected Mylo had probably had RIME the year before, too.<\/p>\n<p>Doctors were talking about putting him to sleep and cutting away the dead skin tissue because he had so much of it in his mouth and he didn\u2019t seem to be improving. I was terrified.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"651\" src=\"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SEI_287808910-25eb-e1772636965134.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-27224077\" alt=\"Rachel Tompkins ATT - Elaine Adams: Docs thought was Hand Foot and Mouth - but rare condition could have blinded my son\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>This time he was diagnosed with RIME, Reactive Infectious Mucocutaneous Eruption (Picture: Elaine Adams)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>They didn\u2019t need to do this in the end, though, because after six days, we started to notice a small improvement at last. Mylo started drinking liquids through a straw.<\/p>\n<p>A few days later, Mylo<strong> <\/strong>came home.<\/p>\n<p>He was still covered in lesions and we had to use a little sponge to clean the debris from his lips, as well as give him steroids for his eyes until January; and we’ve had to go back to the hospital for monitoring every week.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re due to see a Paediatric Consultant in April for genetic testing, which<strong> <\/strong>could show if Mylo carries certain genes potentially making him more susceptible to this condition.<\/p>\n<section class=\"metro-comment-cta\">\n<div class=\"metro-comment-cta__inner\"><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text-wrap\"><title>Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">Have you had to fight for your child in hospital? Have your say in the comments below<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>For now, Mylo\u2019s back to normal \u2013 obsessed with playing football, and back at school with his mates. He hasn\u2019t had any lasting damage. <\/p>\n<p>But we have no clear answers about if or when this reaction might return. We\u2019re giving him vitamins to support his <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/10\/15\/tiktok-is-wrong-immune-system-vitamin-c-myths-debunked-24436758\/\">immune system<\/a>, to<strong> <\/strong>hopefully help to protect him against future viruses and infections, but we\u2019re left living in a world of uncertainty, unsure if even a minor cold could trigger it again \u2013 which, for the average five-year-old, is very hard to avoid!<\/p>\n<p>But, while I\u2019m nervous about Mylo being ill again, he needs to live his life. I would love to keep him at home and protect him but it\u2019s not possible or practical \u2013 and we\u2019re grateful to have our happy, healthy boy back.<\/p>\n<p>When I look back at the pictures, it\u2019s hard to believe how poorly Mylo<strong> <\/strong>was; but he was incredibly unwell, and I\u2019m so thankful I kept pushing, taking him to the hospital again and again.<\/p>\n<p>Now, I\u2019m urging other parents to know they should always trust their instincts \u2013 because no one knows your child better than you.<\/p>\n<p>I was sent home repeatedly, but I <em>knew <\/em>there was something wrong; and, as much as I wish it wasn\u2019t the case, I was right.<\/p>\n<p><em>As told to Rachel Tompkins<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:ross.mccafferty@metro.co.uk\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:ross.mccarthy@metro.co.uk\">Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk<\/a><a href=\"mailto:Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk\">.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-comments\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><title>Comment now<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite me sharing my fears that Mylo was seriously ill, the doctors wouldn\u2019t believe me (Picture: Elaine Adams) \u2018It\u2019s Hand, Foot and Mouth disease,\u2019 said a hospital doctor, confidently. \u2018That\u2019s what you thought last time, but you were wrong,\u2019 I insisted. It was December 2025 and I\u2019d brought my five-year-old son, Mylo, to hospital after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13716"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13716"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13724,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13716\/revisions\/13724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}