Two parents in Omaha, Nebraska, are mourning their child just weeks after the boy was born. Michael Cloonan and Beth Steinmeyer were thrilled when they welcomed their son, Christian Cloonan, on December 9, 2019, but heartbroken when they learned he had several health complications. After weeks of trying to figure out what was behind the sudden symptoms, doctors finally diagnosed the infant with bacterial meningitis. But by then, it was already too late.
For weeks, Christian's parents went from doctor to doctor in hopes of finding a diagnosis.
"He had complications ever since he was born, with the large kidneys and everything," his dad told KETV. But none of the doctors could pinpoint what was truly going on with the baby.
Then, on January 17, Christian started gasping for air, which sent his frightened parents back to the doctor.
"They thought he had a ruptured bowel, so they went in and did emergency surgery on Christian," Cloonan recalled.
But the surgery didn't work. Christian's health kept getting worse, and eventually, doctors decided to put him on a breathing tube.
"He couldn't breathe on his own," Cloonan recalled. "He was just laying there lifeless."
At the hospital, Christian began having seizures, and an MRI later revealed he had four blood clots, which caused his face and head to swell.
Cloonan explained to KETV that at the time, doctors told him the only reason why Christian was still alive was because of the soft spot on his head that was absorbing all the fluid.
"And there's nothing they can do to drain that fluid because it's everywhere," the father added.
But a bulging soft spot is also a sign of another more serious condition in newborns.
It was then that doctors realized Christian had a low white blood cell count, and a spinal tap revealed the final diagnosis of bacterial meningitis.
Bacterial meningitis is inflammation of the three membranes that line the spinal cord and brain, according to Healthline. People of any age can contract the infection, but children 2 and younger are at the highest risk. Babies often contract the virus through contact with bacteria, other viruses, or fungus — although fungus is the least likely cause of an infection.
Signs that a baby might be infected include developing a sudden high fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, lethargy, fatigue, or a bulging soft spot on the head — which was the case for Christian.
Even after his diagnosis was determined, Christian couldn't be saved.
His dad told KETV that the illness "just took over his body," despite him taking antibiotics.
Christian died January 21, just four days after his diagnosis, according to Legacy.com.
"It's the hardest decision for a parent, to take your kid off life support," his father told KETV.
"It's just so hard to even think about your child dying in your arms," added Christian's mom.
"For the six weeks that he was here, he's a little fighter. He touched so many hearts," his dad said.
Christian's parents are sharing his story to encourage other parents to educate themselves on the dangers of bacterial meningitis.
The infant's death was a brutal wake-up call about how quickly things can change — a lesson that Cloonan said he hopes others can learn from his story.
"Don't give up on your kids and hold them tight, because something like this … this took him in a matter of days," he said.
For now, both parents are still deeply entrenched in their grief.
"The nightmares are so bad that we hardly even sleep right now because you can hear him crying," Cloonan shared. "And then we jump up and he's not there."
A GoFundMe page has been created to help cover Christian's funeral expenses.
