Mum Speaks Out After Toddler Son Dies from Flu “You Don’t Expect a Child to Die of the Flu”

Meg Hughes has shared the devastating impact of losing her son Louie to the flu, just days after both Louie and his twin brother Vinnie contracted the virus. Louie tragically passed away on Christmas morning after his heart stopped, despite medical efforts to resuscitate him for 19 minutes.

In an emotional interview with Teesside Live, Meg revealed that doctors were baffled by the sudden and severe illness. She said: “I just feel numb at the moment to be honest. You don’t expect a child to die of the flu in 2024. He fought so hard and now it’s just so sad.”

The twins, born prematurely in September 2023, had been doing well before they fell ill with the flu. Both boys were born tiny, their eyes and eyelids fused shut, and they could fit in Meg’s hand. However, after a tough start in life, the boys had grown stronger over the months.

Vinnie, the first to fall ill, went into a coma for six days, but he has since recovered and returned home to his family in Stockton, County Durham. Louie, however, became critically ill, going into cardiac arrest for 12 minutes before his lung collapsed. He was placed into a coma on December 21 and later passed away after having seizures in the intensive care unit at RVI Newcastle.

The family’s grief has been compounded by the effects of the loss on Louie’s siblings. Meg shared that Louie’s brother, Vinnie, had become “very quiet” after the tragedy, while other siblings, Ronnie (five), Nancy (nine), and Eren (six), were “lost” and unsure how to cope with their brother’s death.

To help cover Louie’s funeral expenses, a GoFundMe page was launched by a family member. The page reads: “We now need to raise funds for Louie’s funeral to give him the best send off he deserved. Our blue-eyed boy passed away on Christmas Day, and we would appreciate all the help we can get to give our boy the best send off possible.” So far, £1,475 has been raised for the funeral.

Health experts are warning of one of the worst flu seasons in history, with NHS medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis stating, “The winter flu season has not only hit the NHS early this year, but it is potentially on track to be one of the worst we have ever seen as the ‘quad-demic’ continues.” The NHS is under significant strain, with many people struggling to get GP appointments, as figures suggest 1.1 million people couldn’t secure one before Christmas.