Australian couple Josh Roberts and Katelyn Galea were overjoyed last July when they welcomed their son, Archie, to the world. At first, everything looked good. Archie was healthy and growing by the day, just like any other boy.
But when Archie was around five months old, he and his parents’ world turned completely upside down. Archie became gravely ill.
It all began with a common children’s illness. At the health clinic, doctors diagnosed Archie with a likely ear infection, and said it was nothing to worry about. But Archie’s illness didn’t clear up—on the contrary, it became worse.
First, Archie’s lips turned grey, and then his fingers. He developed a rash on his chest, and when his parents saw what was happening, they threw themselves into their car and drove their son to the nearest hospital.
After a 40-minute drive—what seemed like an eternity—they finally arrive. Archie was completely gray and his parents we worried that it was too late.
It turned out that Archie had a potentially fatal meningococcal infection, a bacterial disease that can be fatal if untreated. Archie was immediately hospitalized and put on a ventilator. He received a blood transfusion and was treated with antibiotics.
For a while, little Archie hovered between life and death.
“This is something you only read about in the paper or see in the news. You would never expect it to hit someone so healthy and so happy,” Archie’s dad wrote on Facebook. “This is one of the hardest times I have ever had to deal with. I have never ever loved something, someone with such passion and love. It doesn’t matter if you are the toughest person on this planet walking into that hospital room and seeing you like this rips me apart.”
Once Archie stabilized, he was taken off of life-support and then spent several months in the hospital recovering. In order to afford all of his expenses, Archie’s parents started a GoFundMe page with a goal of $5,000. The response was enormous.
As of this writing, the family has gathered almost three times as much as they requested! Thanks to hundreds of people, including strangers who have never met the family, Archie was able to get the treatment he needs.
Today, Archie is feeling much better and has been released from the hospital. He still has a long way to go before he fully recovers, but he makes progress every day.
Josh and Katelyn couldn’t be more grateful.
I’m so glad that ended well and that Archie will fully regain his health. What a little fighter he is! Please share this article if you were also touched by this story.
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