Mother Shares Warning Signs After Toddler’s Ear Infection Turns Into Meningitis Battle

A Tulsa mother is sharing warning signs after her 18-month-old has been in the hospital for three weeks with meningitis. She said it started as a double ear infection and became something worse than she ever expected. 

Casi Murray said her little boy Baker is a spunky and talkative toddler, and so when he didn't want to get up to play or eat, she knew something was wrong. 

"As a mom, my biggest fear was what could I have done differently, how could I have prevented this, I am his mother, it is my job to protect my child," she said. 

Murray said she was giving him a bath one night, when he couldn't move his neck so she immediately took him to the emergency room. 

"I knew something was wrong, we just didn't know what. So, they started the spinal tap and the fluids started coming out and we knew exactly what was going on," Murray said. 

Baker has now been diagnosed with type A spinal bacterial meningitis. 

Murray said the double ear infection opened the course for the infection to go into his brain. She said in the past few weeks, he's had seizures and been on a ventilator.

"This is my baby, I mean he's only 18 months old," she said. 

Murray said she wants other parents to know the warning signs for meningitis, like loss of appetite, fever, exhaustion and stiffness of the neck. 

"The doctor said, you caught it early, and even with it being caught early it's not been an easy road," she said. 

Murray said Baker will have to have another MRI this week to see if he will have to have brain surgery. 

If you'd like to help the family, click here for the GoFundMe account.