Because I am furious with McMaster Children's Hospital for removing masks and because my child had SEVERAL hospital acquired infections during his time at Mac, I requested his medical records this week. I had no idea how traumatic it would be to read these files 10 yrs later.

Every echo, x-ray, ultrasound, lumbar puncture, blood transfusion, PICC line, intubation, NG tube placement, brain scan, eye exam, resuscitation, renal/cardio/neuro consult, medication, bloodwork etc. It's a lot. But I don't see details about the HAIs he had.

I was there all day, every day, for the first 124 days of his life at Mac. I read 3 neonatalogy textbooks while there. I sat in on rounds every single day. I kept my own records, charting everything. There are HAIs noted in my records. I'm going to have to take a closer look.

I'm only looking into this because everyone just took for granted that hospital acquired infections were bound to happen. I don't think that's true. But it's hard to believe they are trying to actually avoid them when they stop protecting sick kids during an ongoing pandemic.

The other day, we were on a trail in Dundas, and someone walked by and nodded to my husband. After he passed by, I said, 'That guy asked me questions one day in the NICU ten years ago when I was still in shock.' Just found his report. Infectious diseases.

There are so many ways things can go wrong when a tiny person is sick in the hospital. And there are ways to mitigate at least some of them. Tiny sick people shouldn't be made sicker because the hospital has decided not to attempt to protect them anymore.

Intubated 3 wks after birth, having contracted both e.coli and enterobacter cloacae infection in his lungs. The machine that saved his life trashed his lungs. Ten years later, he still lives with the results of these simultaneous hospital acquired infections.

The reason all this matters? McMaster Children's Hospital is where we go when he is respiratory distress because of the lung disease he acquired there. Now it's the place most likely to infect him because he is vulnerable and they have removed protections for the little ones in their care.