YAMPA, Colo. — A Yampa mother is urging parents to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 after her 11-year-old son developed long-term effects from the virus.
The first week of November, Noah Symons was admitted to Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora for an intense burning in his hands and feet, according to the boy's mother, Sheila Symons.
"It sort of felt like someone just got a lighter and put it right on my hands," Noah said.
The sensation started about a month and a half after the middle schooler tested positive for COVID-19. At the time, vaccines weren't approved for his age category.
"He was right in the middle of that age group that just wasn't able to get them," Symons said.
Symons told Denver7 her son was able to fight COVID-19 with virtually no symptoms before going back to school. She thought he was fully recovered.
"It was Sunday night and he was brushing his teeth to go to bed for school the next day and he's like, 'My hands and my feet feel like they're on fire!'" Symons said.
Since then, doctors at Children's Hospital Colorado have been trying to find adequate treatments for the 11-year-old's pain.
"His MRI came back normal. Every test they've run has come back normal," Symons said. "They can't figure anything else out except that it has to be the virus attacking his nervous system and the neuropathy. He's got the pains in the soles of his feet and it's excruciating pain."
Symons said doctors have identified other children who've developed similar pains to Noah after battling COVID-19, but treatments for the problem aren't clear.
Now, Noah is fully vaccinated and on medication for nerve pain. He's been doing school from home for eight weeks.
His only wish this holiday season is to heal and for others to protect their children.
"Get vaccinated," he said.
"We do know of a couple of people up here that were on the fence of getting their child vaccinated, and because of Noah's story that they've heard, and how much they adore him, they went and got their kids vaccinated," Symons said. "You may not have to go through this because we never expected this in our life, ever. I wouldn't have even thought this would be us. I know that most kids are fine, but you don't know. And why take that risk?"
