Last weekend, we brought you the sad story of little Mariana Sifrit, the newborn baby who contracted viral meningitis caused by the herpes virus.
Mariana suffered organ failure and was in intensive care in hospital. Sadly, yesterday, her mum Nicole broke the news that the little girl had passed away.
Nicole posted the following heartbreaking message on Facebook: "Our princess, Mariana Reese Sifrit, gained her angel wings at 8:41 am this morning in her daddy's arms, and her mommy right beside her. She is now no longer suffering and is with the Lord."
“Thank you to everyone who has followed her journey and supported us through this," Nicole continued. "In her 18 days of life she made a huge impact on the world, and we hope with Mariana's story we save numerous newborns’ lives. R.I.P. sweet angel."
Last weekend, Mariana’s parents Nicole and Shane issued a warning to other parents not to let anyone kiss their babies, as it’s believed the little girl may have caught the virus through a kiss.
The couple had to abandon their wedding to rush their week-old daughter to hospital, when they noticed she wasn’t feeding and wouldn’t wake up.
At the hospital, the terrified parents found out Mariana had meningitis HSV-1, a form of meningitis caused by the herpes simplex virus, which is also responsible for cold sores.
Both parents were tested for the virus, but tests came back negative, meaning Mariana must have caught it from someone else that had interacted with her in the week since she was born.
Little Mariana was admitted to NICU, where her condition took a turn for the worse. She stopped breathing on her own, and her organs began failing.
The hospital arranged for her to be transferred by air ambulance to another hospital, where she was placed on life-support.
Her devastated parents now want to warn other parents of how easily this virus can be transmitted, in the hopes that they can prevent such heartbreak happening in another family.
“Don’t let people kiss your baby, and make sure they ask before they pick up your baby,” a devastated Nicole advised.
Heartbroken dad Shane said: "I always thought this stuff happens, and it's a shame, and never thought it would happen to me. I was not prepared at all.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to cover the family’s hospital bills. If you would like to donate, click here.
