Last week, I learned what it feels like to carry your whole world in your arms and run. Kendall had his first febrile seizure, his first ER visit, his first hospital stay since the day he was born — and somehow, through all of it, he still found ways to make everyone around him smile. This is our story from that week, written now that we’re home, healthy, and finally sleeping in our own beds.
It started the way so many weeks in a toddler household start: with a cough, a cold, and a sense that something was going around.
Last Monday, Kendall and I both started feeling unwell. Runny noses, coughs, the usual. By the afternoon, Kendall had developed a fever. Nothing about it felt alarming yet. Kids get sick. Moms get sick. We rest, we cuddle, we ride it out.
I had no idea what the next morning was about to bring.
🌅 A Normal Morning, Until It Wasn’t
I woke up around 6:30 AM to the sound of Kendall already chatting away in his nursery. If you’ve ever heard a toddler’s morning babble, you know it’s one of the best sounds in the world. I went straight to him, excited to start our day and play together.
Later on, we all went downstairs together with his nanny, and Kendall was put down on the sofa to rest. I lay down beside him, just looking at him and hugging him — one of those quiet, nothing-special moments that you don’t realize you’ll remember forever.
Then I moved to the dining table.
A few seconds later, both his nanny and Don were panicking. I looked over and saw Kendall’s eyes rolling up and his whole body shaking.
I ran to him and carried him right away, and we all rushed to the car.
💔 The Longest Three Minutes of My Life
The seizure lasted about three minutes.
I don’t know if I can fully describe what those three minutes felt like. I was shouting his name, over and over, one after the other, crying at the same time. Every second felt like it was stretching into forever.
Growing up, my siblings and I were all healthy kids. None of us ever had to be rushed to the hospital. So this — the panic, the speed, the not knowing — was completely new territory for me.
We got to the ER fast. In the rush, I grabbed exactly two things: Kendall and my wallet. Which is how I ended up spending the next several hours in the emergency room in my shirt and my boxers. Fashion was not the priority that morning. 😅
That was around 9 AM. Kendall was diagnosed with a febrile seizure — a seizure triggered by a fever spiking quickly — and tests later confirmed that the fever was caused by influenza. Yes, the real trangkaso.
By around 10 PM, we finally got a room, and Kendall was admitted for observation at St. Luke’s.
🩹 The Bravest (and Loudest) Patient in the ER
Kendall was such a good baby through all of it. But my heart broke when they had to put in his IV line for fluids and medication. He cried and cried, and he shouted one word over and over:
“Yaya!”
Whenever Kendall is uncomfortable, he seeks comfort from his nanny. And he does not hold back. I’m pretty sure a lot of strangers in that ER heard him wailing for his yaya and thought, wow, how clingy.
But the doctors and nurses saw it differently. They told us what a sweet baby he is for calling out for his parents and his yaya whenever he’s not feeling well. And honestly? At only 1 year and 5 months old, being able to cry out exactly who he needs is pretty advanced. He knows his people. He knows where his comfort lives. And he’s not shy about asking for it.
I’ll take that as a parenting win.
☀️ Smiles, Every Single Morning
The next morning — and every morning after — Kendall woke up smiling. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw him in my stories, grinning like we were on a staycation instead of in a hospital room.
We slept together on his hospital bed every night. And being back at St. Luke’s brought back such a flood of memories. This is where he was born. This is where we spent those first few nights together when he was just a few days old — tiny, new, and completely mine.
It was such a nice feeling to be there with him again. Different circumstances, same love.
And here’s something I don’t think I’ve ever shared on this blog: Kendall’s second name, Luke, was chosen because of St. Luke’s — and Luke means carrier of light. Being back there, watching my little light slowly come back to himself, felt like everything had come full circle.
🌡️ The Night That Was Supposed to Be Our Last
We thought we’d be there for two, maybe three days. Then, on what was supposed to be our final night, Kendall suddenly spiked a 39.5°C fever out of nowhere.
So we extended. One more night of monitoring, one more night of vitals checks, one more night of sleeping curled up next to him in that hospital bed.
In total, we spent three nights at St. Luke’s. And every single one of them, Kendall was surrounded by people who genuinely cared about him.
🎂 A Birthday in the Pedia Ward
Oh, and did I mention? I spent my birthday there too, on October 30th.
I wish we’d had time to decorate our room and throw a full-blown hospital birthday party — balloons on the IV pole, the works. But on hindsight, I think there was a reason I never got around to planning a party with friends and family this year. The universe clearly had other plans.
And honestly, the best birthday gift I could have asked for was my baby, fever-free and smiling, getting ready to go home.
We even had some surprise trick-or-treat visitors drop by our room, which made Kendall (and his very tired mom) light up. 🎃
My family celebration is officially postponed — and I fully intend to make up for it!
💡 What I Learned About Febrile Seizures
Before last week, I barely knew what a febrile seizure was. Now I know more than I ever wanted to. Here’s what I wish I’d known before it happened to us:
- They’re more common than you think. Febrile seizures happen in a small but real percentage of young children, usually between 6 months and 5 years old.
- They’re usually triggered by a fever rising quickly, not necessarily by how high the fever gets.
- The “simple” kind is generally harmless and doesn’t cause lasting damage — but it is absolutely terrifying to witness.
- If it happens: lay your child on their side on a safe surface, don’t put anything in their mouth, don’t try to hold them still, and time the seizure.
- Always get them checked. Even if the seizure stops on its own, bring your child to the ER so doctors can find the cause of the fever.
I’m not a doctor, and every child is different, so please talk to your pediatrician about what’s right for your little one. But if sharing this helps even one parent feel a little less lost in that moment, then it’s worth it.
💕 To the Mommies Reading This
If your child has ever been rushed to the ER, or if you’re reading this from a hospital chair right now: you’re doing better than you think.
You don’t have to be calm. You don’t have to have the right outfit on (clearly). You just have to show up for them — and you already are.
And to St. Luke’s: thank you for taking care of our boy, again. You were there when he came into this world, and you were there when he needed you most last week. Kendall’s name will always carry a little piece of you.
💕 Has your little one ever had a febrile seizure? Share your story in the comments — let’s support each other through the scary moments too. 💕
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