As a toddler, Konner Hall showed a knack for hitting milestones early. At 9 months old, he started walking. By 14 months, he was potty trained.
He also had a tendency to get ear infections. So when he was 18 months old and woke up one morning with a low-grade fever, his parents – Stephanie and Justin Hall of Cottonwood, Alabama – figured it was just another ear infection. By that night, Konner's temperature was 104 degrees, high enough for his parents to take him to the emergency room.
The doctor said Konner was just dehydrated, so he sent them home with instructions to give the boy more fluids. A couple days later, Konner woke up in the middle of the night crying. His fever had spiked to over 104 degrees.
His parents rushed him to the other ER in their area, hoping for fresh insight. The doctor there gave the same diagnosis: Konner was just dehydrated and needed fluids. Stephanie and Justin felt certain there was more to it.
After all, Konner's lips were so swollen that it looked as if someone had punched him. He had bumps all over his tongue. His body was covered in rashes.
He wouldn't let anyone touch him without crying. The next morning, Stephanie and Justin took Konner to the pediatrician. Right away, the doctor said: "He's got Kawasaki disease.
" Kawasaki disease is a disease of small and medium blood vessels in the body, including arteries of the heart. It develops suddenly and causes a high fever and inflammation of the blood vessels. The exact cause of the disease.