Father of one-year-old baby hospitalized with COVID-19 in Cox shares message

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The father of a one-year-old infant hospitalized in Springfield with COVID-19 has a heartbreaking message after watching his son struggle.

Carter Butrum was born three months premature last year, and her family have spent a fair amount of time in hospitals caring for their baby. After months of progress, her parents thought their toddler was done with hospitals.

“There is no smaller feeling than seeing someone who can’t speak for themselves go through this and not be able to help,” Carter’s father Kyle Butrum said.

Along with worry and unease, feelings of familiarity consume the Arkansas family. Butrum spent many months needing special care after her premature birth.

“I spent five months wondering if he would ever come home,” Kyle Butrum said. “And I thought we were done with the main things in the hospital. Now I’m here a year later, wondering if he’ll ever come home. “

Feelings of vulnerability exist again, but this time because of COVID-19. Carter had cold symptoms at daycare late last week, but RSV and COVID tests initially came back negative.

On Monday, things got worse. Carter was rushed into an emergency and tested positive for COVID-19.

“Last night, and during the night, it looked like he couldn’t catch his breath,” Butrum said. “I mean, he was breathing but the cough was strained.”

A stop at Cox in Branson turned into an emergency trip to Cox South in Springfield. Carter needs oxygen now.

“He’s just exhausted and doing all he can,” said Butrum. “He’s only a year old. There are so many things a one year old can do when he’s completely exhausted.

While Carter is with his mother in Cox South, anxiety lingers with his father that he cannot be by his son’s side.

“This is the worst, the second being helpless in the face of the situation, you are now completely helpless, because you cannot even communicate with the people who are trying to help,” said Butrum.

Her son stays in her mind.

“For something that is preventable, it’s not fair to him,” he said.

Carter’s dad said he doesn’t want anyone to experience what he’s going through. He wants people to know that the virus can really affect anyone.

“It can happen to your children,” he said. “It can happen to your mother. It can happen to your aunts, uncles, cousins. There is no line in the sand. It happened to my one year old son. And it doesn’t matter what you think is part of the fabric of the community.

As a community, he said everyone should do their part, starting with the vaccine.

“So to actively choose not to do it is to actively endanger someone else,” Butrum said. “And it’s not fair to those who can’t make that decision. So please, please don’t let this happen to your children. It’s not worth the shot.”

Butrum said getting the vaccine isn’t just about you, it’s about protecting those who can’t protect themselves, especially young children.

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