Jordan Banjo’s six-week-old son has been hospitalised after falling ill with sepsis and suspected meningitis.
The Diversity star, 30, welcomed his third child Atreus with wife Naomi Courts just weeks ago on April 25.
On Tuesday, Courts, who married Banjo last August, shared how it has been one of the most “traumatic weeks of their lives” as she revealed that the couple had even “discussed the worst”.
Taking to Instagram, she wrote alongside a video with their little one: “Ahh gosh, where do we start … in case you’re wondering where we’ve been, last week I took Atreus to A&E after feeling like something wasn’t right and he was immediately admitted with sepsis and suspected meningitis.”
She continued: “It’s been the most emotionally draining, frightening week of our lives. We’ve cried a lot, we’ve barely slept, and we’ve discussed the worst ... but we’ve carried each other through possibly one of the most traumatic weeks of our lives.
“You never think it would be your baby and honestly I can’t explain how awful it is having to leave your poorly baby behind in a hospital and go home and just be ‘mummy’ to your other children, when inside your heart is breaking.”
She added that she was lucky to have Jordan to support her and do alternate nights at the hospital so that one parent could look after the two other children, son Cassius and daughter Mayowa.
Courts penned that it has been “tough” but she had done the “best for their babies” and that all she wants now is for her family to be back together “where they belong”.
She went on to explain that Atreus had been in hospital for five days but he “finally had a stable temperature” and “things are looking positive” for him.
Naomi shared: “We are finally seeing an improvement – our super brave strong boy has had all sorts of blood tests, a lumber puncture and constant prodding and poking this week but there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel and we cannot wait to get him home where he belongs.
“We still don’t really have answers and it’s another week ahead of antibiotics but he’s on the right path and we are just keeping positive.”
She rounded off her post by sharing symptoms for parents to watch out for.
Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection. It happens when the immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage the body’s tissues and organs.
It can be hard to spot in children as symptoms resemble other conditions, including flu or a chest infection.
Meningitis is the swelling of the meninges, the lining around the brain and spinal cord, and is caused by germs. It is a serious, life-threatening illness and can kill in hours, but it has different causes and levels of severity.
Babies and child under five are particularly vulnerable to the disease,
Banjo announced Atreus’ birth in April on Instagram alongside a black and white photo of Courts cradling little Atreus after the birth before the couple both posted a sweet video.
He wrote at the time: “Atreus Funso Banjo 20.04.2023 8lb 8oz. I’m so proud of you Naomi Banjo, my angel, my wife and the most incredible mum to our children, thank you for our three beautiful children, a gift I can never repay, I love you.”
