An Arlington police officer, securing the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, has found himself longing for home as his son suffers from an illness.
"Nothing worse than being stuck in Russia and learning that Xander has contracted RSV," Lt. Cable Johnson posted on Facebook Monday night. "Poor little guy can hardly breathe and was very lethargic on FaceTime this morning."
Xander Johnson, 2, is suffering from Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, an infection of the lungs and breathing passages.
Breck Johnson, Xander's mother, described her son's symptoms to NBC DFW.
"Fever, runny nose, cough, wheezing," Johnson said.
Last Saturday, with a fever of 104 and her son seemingly struggling to breathe, Breck Johnson rushed her son to the Cook Children's Medical Center emergency department.
Numbers released by Cook Children's Tuesday revealed that since the beginning of February doctors there have treated more children for RSV than for influenza.
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"It comes around every winter," said Dr. Donald Murphey, the medical director of pediatric infectious diseases at Cook Children's. "It can be bad. Kids will end up in the hospital sometimes and occasionally in the intensive care unit."
Since RSV is a virus, there is no medication that can make the symptoms go away, although they do tend to fade within a week or so, according to Murphey. The coughing, however, could last for several weeks.
"Basically it's just a waiting game — just to make sure it doesn't get any worse," Johnson said about her son. "If it does get worse he will be hospitalized for a time frame until he can get over it."
Johnson said it has been difficult with her husband in Sochi.
"Oh yeah it's definitely trying with Cable being away so far and not being able to help. And he feels awful not being able to help, also," Johnson said.
"[Cable] checks on him, sees him [via FaceTime], talks to him, does as much as he can over the phone; but it helps to be able to see him and know he's safe over there, and for Xander to be able to see him," Johnson said.
Cable Johnson, who is primarily providing security for Olympic hockey players, made his sentiments clear on Facebook.
"As amazing as this opportunity is, I'd rather be home right now with my family," Cable Johnson wrote.
