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By Arthur's Grandma; Samantha

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Arthur was 2 days old when he developed a fever and became unresponsive, his mom's friends noticed he was extremely floppy and burning up so called an ambulance. He was rushed to the local children’s hospital where he was admitted and started on antibiotics, tests were run, urine samples taken, and a lumber puncture was done. I visited him less than 6 hours after he was admitted, mom wasn’t with him so I stayed and whilst feeding him I noticed 3 small white lumps on the top of his head. I informed the nurse who called the doctor, straight away they did swabs of the lumps and they suspected neonatal herpes, he was started on an antiviral drip immediately and the results came back as HSV.

I have never been so frightened in all my life, Arthur was lethargic for 5 days, he didn’t open his eyes til he was 6 days old which was the most magical moment. He was discharged at 16 days old having spent 2 weeks in hospital. He is now a happy thriving toddler.

I knew nothing about neonatal herpes, and neither did his mother, he contracted it during birth, a health visitor had seen him the morning he was admitted and told mom to just keep an eye on him and all newborns are sleepy.