As South Lake Tahoe boy fights for his life, dad wants officials to take COVID-19 more seriously

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As a ten-year-old from Christmas Valley fights for his life at UC Davis, his father has started a fight of his, one that is asking people to take COVID-19 seriously and to stay away from Lake Tahoe in the midst of the pandemic.

Maeson Howard, a student at the Lake Tahoe Environmental Magnet School, started to not feel well less than a week ago, on Tuesday, July 28. By Wednesday he had a high fever, body aches, vomiting and other symptoms, and by Satursday he was admitted into Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe. Within hours he was transported to UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

His diagnosis? Even though the doctors have not determined as of Monday, they believe he has multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) or Kawasaki disease.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says MIS-C is now showing in children and is associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and presents itself with Kawasaki disease-like features. The CDC is investigating this, which until this year was a rare but serious complication that is now associated with COVID-19.

"We are family who has taken this virus very serious from the very beginning of this pandemic," said Maeson's dad Corley. "We have practiced safe and strict social distancing, mask wearing, thorough cleaning, etc., even though our officials don’t mandate anything and yet here we are with our son suffering significantly."

This rare pediatric inflammatory illness can cause coronary-artery aneurysms and toxic shock syndrome.

Corley believes Maeson came in contact with coronavirus sometime over the past two weeks, but did not show any symptoms until last week. He has starting contacting local officials in hopes that his son's plight will put pressure on them to do something to curb the outbreak within the community.

"I’m so angry and disappointed with all of our officials for turning a blind eye to how serious this pandemic is and that no life is worth boosting our local economy," said Corley. Even before his son got sick he said he was concerned about the crowds coming to the lake and filling up beaches, boat and bike rentals, and vacation homes all aiding in the spread of the virus.

"People can’t do things [in their hometowns] so they come here to escape the heat and what not, but why should that be okay?" Corley added.

He sent the following letter to the South Lake Tahoe mayor and El Dorado County supervisors:

"My name is Corley Howard. My 10-year-old son Maeson is currently in UC Davis Children's Hospital fighting for his life. He was transferred down there Saturday from Barton. It appears he is battling MIS-C or Kawasaki disease as a result of exposure to COVID here in South Lake Tahoe. We have been very smart and safe for months now but yet somehow he was exposed and now this by-product of a virus has surfaced and has been attacking all his organs for past 5 days. My wife Sarah is with him while by seven-year-old daughter and I isolate at home in Christmas Valley.

Assuming we’ve been exposed as well, we are self quarantined while we wait for our results. We are a local family who has roots here for three generations. I’m writing you in effort to plead with you and other officials to do something quickly too curb the amount of visitors that are coming to South Lake. It is absolutely absurd to have such activities available for the high number of visitors who have consistently been coming into town. I understand the need to keep local economy going, but at what risk? Sadly it is probably too late to safe our community from such a virus. Beaches, Vacation rentals, boat and bike rentals, marinas, hotels, and other such business should be shut down immediately, enforced, and likely should have never re-opened. What will it take for local officials to wake up and do the right thing? Does a family member of a local official need to be sick in order for a reality check? What will it take? Who has to die in order for you to do something? Will may son’s condition or possible death open your eyes to what's really going on around here? You all should be ashamed of yourselves. Please share this email with your staff and do something to enforce what little rules we have and start to make a difference for the sake of the lives in our community.”

- Corley Howard

The CDC says any child that is showing any emergency warning signs of MIS-C, including trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest that does not go away, new confusion, inability to wake up or stay awake, bluish lips or face, or severe abdominal pain, call 911 or go to the emergency room.