ST PAUL, Minn. — Kayla Jellison has not one but two children in the hospital battling respiratory illnesses. Her daughter Kelsey's birthday happened to fall over her hospital stay.
The Center for Disease Control has warned of a sharp rise in RSV cases around the holidays. Kayla Jellison's 6-month-old son, and 2-year-old daughter are included in that statistic.
"It's really tough," Jellison said.
On Christmas, she noticed her 6-month-old son struggling to breathe. She brought him to the closest urgent care near their home in Richmond, WI. Doctors decided it would be best to admit her son to Children's Minnesota in St. Paul. A day later, Jellison's 2-year-old daughter joined her brother.
The stress of the holidays and illness has taken a toll on the family of 10. They own a tow truck company, and their tow brothers and sisters decided they needed some lifting up.
"All she wants is me there. Anytime I leave, she cries and yells," Jellison said. "We haven't slept much since we have been here."
Jellison said they had to scrap all of Kelsey's (2) birthday plans. That's where the tow trucks come in. The Jellison family owns KJ's Towing and Recovery. Their friends, colleagues, and employees came together to show their support during the difficult time.
Sirens and lights all up and down the streets of St. Paul illuminated the morning sky. People from Minnesota and Wisconsin banned together to show the Jellison family that they are not alone.
"It's emotional to see," Jellison said while watching the trucks drive by.
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