In 2016, Jasmine Shortland’s 3-year-old son, Bryan-Andrew, contracted chickenpox.
Despite minor symptoms like a sore neck and swelling, Bryan-Andrew seemed fine. His mother, Jasmine, left him and his brother Austin at their grandmother’s to protect their younger sibling, Ivan, from getting infected.
Tragically, Bryan-Andrew’s condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to his unexpected death, leaving his family devastated.
Jasmine and her partner, Josh, faced an unimaginable loss when Bryan-Andrew passed away the night after exhibiting joyous and normal behavior.
The cause of his death remained a mystery until doctors discovered that Bryan-Andrew had developed a rare and aggressive form of streptococcus A infection known as A-strep. This infection resulted from scratching his chickenpox.
Despite showing no typical symptoms of the infection, Bryan-Andrew’s body was unable to fight the septicemia, ultimately leading to his death.
Devastatingly, Jasmine experienced further tragedy as she suffered a miscarriage due to the stress following Bryan-Andrew’s passing.
Jasmine now aims to raise awareness about the risks associated with chickenpox and urges parents to stay vigilant to prevent similar tragedies.
