Liam
A Hib Story

How would you describe Liam?

Liam was the best brother to his siblings. He was the middle child, and my only boy. He loved everyone, and anyone who knew him described him as a walking angel on Earth.  

Liam loved outdoor activities like fishing and yard work, and he knew he wanted to own a landscaping company when he got older because he never wanted to work inside. He loved visiting Tennessee and going to the beach in Florida. I will miss our family vacations, as they will never be the same again. 

Not only will I miss our trips, but I will miss his random hugs and kisses, holding his hand, and hearing his sweet little voice.

How did Liam become sick? 

On April 24, 2025, Liam got off the school bus at 3:00 p.m. with a headache. That night, his headache gradually worsened. By early the next morning, he developed a fever of 103°F and became delirious, so we took him to the emergency room (ER). 

At what point did you realize Liam’s illness was serious? 

At our local ER, the doctors ordered blood work, and the results showed signs of a serious brain infection. They transferred us to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, where the doctors tried to do a lumbar puncture to test Liam’s spinal fluid. Lumbar punctures can diagnose infections of the brain and spinal cord, but they had to wait until his heart rate slowed and his blood pressure increased.  

How did Liam’s illness progress? 

Around 11:00 p.m. that night, doctors were finally able to get the lumbar puncture after sedating him. The sedation seemed to speed up the progression of his disease, as Liam suddenly began to have trouble breathing. The medical team was able to get everything under control by placing a tube into Liam’s airway to help him breathe. 

Early the next morning, they took Liam for an MRI scan of his brain because the electroencephalogram (EEG) they ordered showed a significant change in his brain activity. The MRI scan revealed that Liam’s brain had swelled upwards and downwards, causing irreversible damage to his brain stem. On April 26, at just 8 years old, Liam was considered brain dead. 

When did you discover Liam’s diagnosis? 

Later that morning, the doctors told us that Liam was officially diagnosed with invasive Heamophilus influenzae type B (Hib) that turned into bacterial meningitis. He also had sepsis, which is an extreme immune response to an infection that can cause widespread inflammation, tissue damage, and organ failure. 

By this point, the doctors told us that there was nothing else they could do—Liam was gone. The next two days were spent in the hospital with family and friends, saying our final goodbyes. On April 28, 2025, we took Liam off life support.

Was Liam vaccinated against Hib?

Yes, Liam was fully vaccinated. He was diagnosed with asthma exactly one year before we lost him, but otherwise Liam was a healthy little boy. The infectious disease doctors told us it is highly likely that Liam came into contact with an unvaccinated carrier of Hib sometime between April 22 and April 24, 2025, the day Liam developed his first symptom.

What advice would you give to someone who doesn’t want to vaccinate themselves or their family? 

I would say please reconsider. By getting vaccinated, you are not only protecting yourself and your family but everyone else as well. The Hib vaccine limits the spread of the disease while reducing your chances of catching it. But in order for the vaccine to work best, everyone eligible needs to be vaccinated.  

Some people can carry Hib without knowing it, and they may not develop any symptoms. However, the disease can become severe very quickly, and most people who show symptoms don’t make it. That’s why herd immunity is so important. 

Is there anything else you want others to know? 

Losing a child is the worst kind of pain there is. I will miss doing everything with Liam but most of all, I will miss watching him grow into such an ambitious little worker. I don’t want to see another family suffer because of a disease that is completely preventable. 

Hib should be eradicated by now, but it’s making a comeback because more people are choosing not to vaccinate. The Hib vaccine has proven to be safe and effective for over 40 years. Losing Liam has opened our eyes to the importance of vaccinations.