One Mom Thinks People Are Overreacting To MRSA

A Green Country mom believes anxiety over the MRSA superbug has gotten out of hand. Her young daughter has MRSA. News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports she's doing fine, but her mom says the ten year

Wednesday, November 7th 2007, 2:13 pm

By: News On 6

A Green Country mom believes anxiety over the MRSA superbug has gotten out of hand. Her young daughter has MRSA. News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports she's doing fine, but her mom says the ten year old is being unfairly singled out because so many people are so alarmed about the infection.

Hayden Griffith is like most ten year olds. She likes softball and enjoys school. Her biggest challenge is making sure she gets her homework finished. But, lately there's been another challenge. Hayden has a MRSA staph infection.

"There's a little patch thing and then we put tape on it,â€ said Hayden Griffith, who has MRSA.

It's a very small spot on her stomach, about the size of a quarter. She is taking an antibiotic that is effective for MRSA. And, she is keeping the spot clean and covered.

"The penicillin family is what it is resistant to, not every antibiotic,â€ said Haydenâ€™s mom, Lisa Griffith.

Lisa Griffith says the infection is no big deal. But, she says MRSA mania has made it more difficult.

"The school districts have sent notes out saying we have a MRSA positive child at the school. They don't send out notes saying a kid has head lice. They don't send a note out saying a kid has pneumonia, influenza the flu, or strep throat,â€ said Haydenâ€™s mother, Lisa Griffith.

Griffith says many people have taken concerns way too far. She says MRSA can be painful, but not always. For her daughter, being treated differently by other kids is more painful.

"They tell me they don't want to play with me because I have it,â€ said 10-year-old Hayden Griffith.

"It is hard when she comes home and cries. And, she doesn't want to go to school the next day and she's crying,â€ said Haydenâ€™s mom, Lisa Griffith.

Griffith says she's cautious and others should be, too. But, she says they shouldn't be irrational. The family's ready for things to return to normal.

"It's something that happens and everybody is just going to have to calm down,â€ added Lisa Griffith.

Griffith believes there is a lot of misinformation out there about MRSA that needs to be cleared up.

Watch the video: A Mother's Concern About MRSA Reaction

To learn more about MRSA, including symptoms, treatment and prevention, visit the MRSA section of kotv.com.