Dad shares warning for parents after son dies suddenly on summer vacation - Good Morning America

What the report says

Good Morning America reports that Viet Vu, a father from Denver, is warning other parents after his 5-year-old son, Justin, died during a family summer trip to Oregon. Vu said Justin had been healthy and active, including playing T-ball, before becoming ill suddenly while traveling with his mother, Terese Peden, and siblings.

According to GMA, Justin first complained of stomach pain on the fourth night of the trip and later began vomiting. Vu said Peden took him to a local emergency room the next day, and doctors initially considered possibilities such as appendicitis or infection. Justin was transferred to a children’s hospital in Portland, where he was treated in intensive care. Vu told ABC News that he traveled from Colorado after Justin’s condition worsened and did not get to speak with his son again. Justin died July 8, five days after first being hospitalized, surrounded by family.

GMA reported that doctors ultimately diagnosed Justin with systemic capillary leak syndrome, also known as Clarkson’s disease. Citing the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the report described SCLS as a rare, serious episodic condition in which fluid leaks from capillaries, causing sudden drops in blood pressure. Fewer than 500 cases have been reported globally since the 1960s, and it is especially uncommon in children, according to NORD.

Vu said he wanted to share the family’s experience because the illness can be difficult to recognize and may resemble other conditions. The report noted that symptoms can be general, including cough, nausea, lightheadedness, abdominal pain, headache or swelling, and that the cause of SCLS remains unknown.