A mother named Savina French-Bell went through the agony of watching her 2-year-old daughter Sienna Duffield suffered from a blistering rash. She not only could do nothing to help her child, but for months, doctors were at a loss to what was even wrong.
Savina noticed a rash on her daughter’s face the day after her 2nd birthday. It wasn’t just a little pink area. The appearance of the rash on Sienna’s skin was completely alarming.
“It started to look like someone had thrown acid over her face,” Savina said. “It spread from her mouth to her cheeks, and above her eyes.”
Savina used creams and ointments but it didn’t help. Even doctors had no solution. For eight months, Sienna’s face was a bloody mess—covered in itchy bumps and patches, painful blisters, and scabbing from her relentless scratching.
Savina describes the rash as if it was eating the flesh off of Sienna’s face. Her daughter’s clothes were constantly covered in blood, and the sores around her mouth made eating an absolute nightmare. Finally, she became hospitalized and forced to receive nutrients through an IV.
Savina was desperate for an answer that would relieve her baby girl. She back-tracked to everything that had happened leading up to the start of Sienna’s rash.
Eight months into the rash, Savina realized the outbreak came shortly after a relative gave Sienna a kiss. That relative unknowingly had herpes, which was transmitted to Sienna at her birthday party.
Eventually, doctors were able to diagnose Sienna with Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1).
As per the World Health Organization, 2 in every 3 people under the age of 50 have HSV-1. It’s commonly known as oral herpes and presents itself in the form of cold sores. That means that 3.7 billion people—more than half of the world’s population—is walking around with a (currently) incurable virus.
Unlike genital herpes (HSV-2), HSV-1 is not transmitted through se_xual activity, but through the swapping of spit in some capacity—like a family member kissing Sienna on the lips—or even just skin-to-skin contact where a carrier sheds skin cells containing the virus, and they come in contact with an opening in another’s skin.
The majority of people will never experience the symptoms of HSV-1, but when contracted, it can wreck havoc on the receiving host.
After Savina had discovered the root of the problem, doctors were able to treat Sienna and eliminate the rash completely. Her skin has healed and according to Savina, her daughter’s face now looks amazing.
Although the infection has not returned, the toddler will always be susceptible to a repeat circumstance.
Sienna’s case is a reminder to everyone—parents and adults alike—to avoid kissing children on the lips.
Cold sores (HSV-1) are contagious and there’s a great chance that you don’t even know you’re a carrier of the virus until it’s too late.
Spread love, not germs. And be mindful of the contact that is made between yourself and others—especially when it comes to fragile and defenseless little children.
