Shivani's Story

When 5-year-old Shivani suddenly felt so much pain she couldn't walk, her dad Mukul, a health care provider himself, knew that this new symptom meant her already existing fever could be caused by more than just a respiratory virus.

"The thought of Kawasaki disease had been going around in my head, even though I know it is super rare," he remembers.

Mukul's intuition was right. Emergency department doctors ran tests for inflammatory markers when her fever kept coming back. The results showed early signs of Kawasaki disease, a condition that occurs when an unknown trigger causes an excessive immune response that can lead to inflammation in the blood vessels. The inflammation, called vasculitis, can put medium-sized vessels like the coronary arteries at risk for damage.

Shivani was admitted to the local hospital where they lived in central Virginia. That's where the family met Alana Hughes Boone, MD, a pediatric cardiologist from Children's National Hospital, who was called in to closely monitor Shivani and make sure none of the potentially life-threatening heart and blood vessel damage caused by Kawasaki developed.

Doctors from Children's National Heart and Lung Center are international experts in identifying and treating rare childhood conditions, including Kawasaki disease. They monitor patients and can respond quickly in the case of a serious complication, such as coronary artery aneurysms.

Dr. Boone checked in regularly and kept the family updated on what it would take to get Shivani feeling better soon. She received treatment as soon as possible and it worked almost immediately. Thankfully, Shivani didn't experience any additional injuries to her heart or blood vessels.

"Dr. Boone was very clear and explained what we were waiting for and what needed to happen," Mukul remembers. "She also did a great job explaining everything to Shivani. The feeling we got was that the team was ready to care of her whatever comes."

After a few weeks, Shivani was back to her usual cheerful and artistic self. The family celebrated her 6th birthday with a pink and green Wicked theme.

Mukul says the family was especially excited to celebrate this milestone after their scary experience just a few months ago. "We're so very thankful for the care, and especially for the fact that there weren't any other issues that came from the Kawasaki disease."

"Dr. Boone is a cardiologist, but she doesn't always just focus on the heart," he says. "She remembers Shivani's little sister, and asks about her, too. She remembers the patient and what she's treating, but also the person. I love that about her."

Samples of Shivani's art: