Young swine flu patient shares her story, hopes to help others avoid illness

DALLAS - For younger swine flu patients and their parents, the experience can be terrifying.

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that about 25 percent of those sick enough to be hospitalized with swine flu last spring required intensive care. More than half of them were children and teenagers.

For them, getting help quickly can make a life-and-death difference.

Five days after being admitted to a Dallas sick ward with swine flu, nine-year old Calisa Campbell is still hunkered down in a hospital bed, feeling lousy. But Felicia Campbell, her mom, is feeling much better.

"I thought I was losing her; I did," she said. " But you know, the grace of God... I can say that... we got her here in time."

Calisa developed a fever on Saturday night around 11 p.m. Ten hours later, her mother knew she was in trouble.

"She was gasping for air; she couldn't get a good, regular breath," Campbell said. "When you see that, you're like - we've got a passage closed somewhere."

Her daughter has been in isolation ever since.

Of the 28 patients on one floor of Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas, seven have swine flu. Doctors have been comparing cases closely, looking for something in common.

"I would not say there's one thing; I would say a couple of things to look for is high fevers and respiratory distress," said pediatric hospitalist Dr. Lauren Ortega.

Asthma affects many of the pediatric patients, including Calisa Campell. "It's like I could barely breathe," she said.

Calisa doesn't remember much about her ride to the emergency room except for one thing - she was scared.

That fear has now subsided, along with the symptoms of the H1N1 virus.

Calista said she's not yet ready to go back to school, but that's OK with her mom. "I'm just glad she's better," Felicia Campbell said.

Calisa is expected to fully recover.

The Campbells wanted to publicize Calisa's story so other families can see the signs and understand that early treatment can make a lifesaving difference.