Boy, 2, Dies Suddenly from Rare Disease with Flu-Like Symptoms, Weeks Before His Birthday: He ‘Had the Biggest Personality’

A 2-year-old boy died from a rare disease that can begin with flu-like symptoms, just weeks before his third birthday.

On Jan. 8, Hudson Hughie Martin collapsed on the stairs in his family’s home. He was pronounced dead at the scene, despite paramedics spending more than an hour trying to restart his heart.

“They did absolutely everything they could,” Hudson’s father, Damien Martin, told Bristol Live. “His heart just wouldn’t come back.”

Hudson had been diagnosed with Kawasaki disease when he was 7 months old, according to a GoFundMe created by his aunt, Danielle.

Kawasaki disease causes inflammation in the walls of medium–sized blood vessels that carry blood throughout the body and most often affects children, per the Mayo Clinic. It can also lead to swelling in lymph nodes and mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose, eyes and throat.

“He was deteriorating day by day, and pretty much ended up laying in bed, not moving,” Damien recalled to Bristol Live of the weeks before Hudson received his diagnosis. “All they were doing was taking blood, doing tests, that’s all they could do.”

Hudson’s mother, Natalie, said it took a specific question to shift the response. “It took someone coming in and saying, ‘He’s got all the symptoms, why hasn’t he been treated for Kawasaki disease?’ ”

After the diagnosis, Hudson went through two rounds of treatment. His family said he began showing improvements in his behavior and symptoms, but his test results remained concerning.

“His numbers weren’t coming back down to where they should be, and even though he was up showing signs that he was well — he was waking up, he was moving around and he started eating — the doctors every day kept coming in with bad news and saying there was nothing they could do, his numbers aren’t moving,” Damien said. “They were basically preparing us and saying he was not going to make it.”

When he was eventually discharged from the hospital, Danielle said Hudson was left with a “giant aneurysm” near his heart, and he spent the following months taking multiple medications.

Even through serious health challenges, those closest to him said Hudson’s energy and personality never seemed to fade.

“You would have never known he was poorly,” Danielle said. “He was your typical boy. He loved to dance and loved a beat. His three brothers, Kieran, Preston and Ashton, absolutely adore him.”

“You’d never know anything was wrong from pictures or videos,” Damien added. “He bounced off everything. He loved climbing, dancing, music, he was a proper daredevil.”

Natalie said Hudson wanted to do everything on his own. “He climbed the highest slides, bounced constantly, and had the biggest personality,” she said. “He was just full of life.”

After their son’s death, Damien and Natalie said they want other parents to recognize the signs of Kawasaki disease and to advocate for their children if they suspect something is wrong.

Explaining that the illness is diagnosed by ruling out other conditions — since there is no single test for Kawasaki disease — they told Bristol Live, “People should push for it.”

“If parents can see the symptoms and be more aware of what to look for, they can question professionals a little bit more,” they added. “It’s rare, and sometimes professionals just don’t know enough about it.”