SALT LAKE CITY — Most new parents try to take every precaution with their newborns, staying away from anyone who may be sick and keeping everything clean. But what if you as the parent are carrying the very thing that could kill your infant?
The Norton family suffered a terrible loss from a disease they didn't even think was a threat.
Pertussis, known more commonly as whooping cough, is highly contagious yet one of the most preventable diseases with regular vaccinations. The disease is usually mild in adults but can be deadly for infants.
Richie and Natalie Norton believe each of their four sons was born with a purpose. And on the day their youngest, Gavin, entered the world, they had no way of knowing just how significant — and brief — his life would be.
"With each of our children, we felt something different at their birth," Natalie Norton said, "And Gavin, we just felt absolute joy — just elation."
Gavin David Bruce Norton was named after Natalie's younger brother, who had passed away at age 21.
The Nortons planned to travel from their home in Hawaii to visit family in Utah when Gavin was 2 months old. To be safe, Natalie Norton visited their doctor, who gave Gavin a clean bill of health and the green light for the trip.
About a week into their Utah trip, Gavin developed a cough.
Concerned, the Nortons took Gavin to a doctor who told them it was RSV, but Gavin's condition quickly declined. They rushed him to the emergency room at Primary Children's Medical Center.
"It was horrifying and very scary," Richie Norton described. "But at the same time, we just had all the faith in the world that he was going to be fine … but that's not the way it happened."
Doctors diagnosed 8-week-old Gavin with pertussis.
It wasn't something the Nortons knew much about.
Watching their son's condition move from a cough to being placed in the pediatric intensive-care unit was absolutely horrifying, Natalie Norton related.
Desperate for a miracle, Natalie, a photographer, poured her heart into her blog, and strangers from around the world listened.
"We were getting messages from one man in Istanbul," Richie Norton stated. "He said he stayed up all night praying for our baby. We got messages from Ireland and Australia — anywhere in the world you can think of.
Natalie continued: "People were telling us they hadn't prayed in years, and here they were praying for the first time all over this sweet little boy."
Doctors tried their hardest to save little Gavin's life, but the Nortons came to believe there was a different plan for their baby.
And at 10 weeks old, they watched him quietly slip away.
"For a moment, it was as if the heavens opened and we just could really feel — I guess — love, for him and his life," Richie said.
"We snuggled him and we sang to him," Natalie added, "and we said goodbye."
The Nortons learned that for all of their precautions, pertussis was in Gavin's system before they ever left home.
When Natalie gave birth, she had a little bit of a cold. There was a high probability that Natalie passed pertussis on to Gavin, which is something that no mother wants to think about.
According to the Sounds of Pertussis Campaign, 80 percent of babies with pertussis contracted the disease from a parent or caregiver.
What many people don't realize is that vaccines lose their effectiveness over time. Individuals, especially parents, should be updating their vaccinations to ensure that they do not contract a previously vaccinated disease.
The Nortons are now passionate spokespeople for the Sounds of Pertussis. They want every adult to get their T-Dap vaccination — including every new mother — before they leave the hospital with their babies.
"Being a mom, standing and watching, and there's nothing you can do. I wouldn't wish that on anyone," Natalie Norton said. "And if all it takes is a little shot to protect us, it's absolutely worth it."
Gavin was buried next to the uncle he was named after.
His parents stress the importance of education — other babies will live because of the Nortons' loss.
Despite the heartache the Nortons have experienced, Natalie believes there is one message everyone should know.
"I really truly believe with all my heart that Gavin's purpose was to help people know that they have a Father in heaven who loves them."
Gavin was born on Oct. 24, 2009, and passed away Jan. 7, 2010.
Email: jstagg@desnews.com
Video Courtesy of KSL.com