Dr. Dongngan Truong, a pediatric cardiologist with University of Utah Health and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, is co-leading the nation’s first longitudinal study to understand how MIS-C is affecting children long-term, and find the best way to detect and treat children with MIS-C.
One of the Primary Children’s participants is 12-year-old Madilyn Dayton of Wyoming. In October 2020, Madilyn had been experiencing unexplained rashes, headaches, and loss of appetite. One day, she woke up and discovered she couldn’t move without pain and called for her mother.
Marilyn Dayton drove her daughter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. She initially thought Madilyn was severely dehydrated. “I never had any idea about what was about to happen and how serious and fast this started,” she said.
At the hospital, Madilyn, a young athlete who had never experienced COVID-19 symptoms, was found to have COVID-19 antibodies. She was diagnosed with MIS-C.
After six days of intensive treatment, Madilyn was able to go home. But she still tires easily, has had to stay home from school, and cannot participate in basketball, volleyball, or strenuous activities for up to six months.
Madilyn’s mother says participating in the MUSIC study is the family’s way of giving back and helping others.
“We want to help the doctors and researchers figure out what this is, why it’s causing these problems in children, and what in the future we can do to stop it,” Marilyn said.
Researchers say Madilyn’s participation in the study will help give them critical information to do just that.
